This month there”s a bright green visitor crossing through the area. The comet Lovejoy is putting on quite a show as it passes in front of the Pleiades star cluster. Although currently fading from view, it remains visible through binoculars.
Lovejoy”s origin is the distant Oorts cloud, beyond Neptune and about 5,000 astronomical units (earth-sun distances) from our sun. It was discovered in August of 2014 by Australian amateur Terry Lovejoy. Because of its orbital pattern, scientists have determined that Lovejoy passes within sight of the earth every 8,000 to 11,500 years. The comet was at its closest point to earth on Jan. 7. It is currently 50 million miles away.
To locate Lovejoy at, say, 9 p.m. draw a line from Orion”s belt to the bright star Aldebaran in Taurus, then on to the Pleiades. Extend the line by the Aldebaran-to-Pleiades distance, and search to the right of it in the constellation Aries. While not clearly visible to the eye, binoculars or a small telescope will allow those interested to see the comet”s head. Observers in dark locations with good eyes may catch it unaided as a smudge in the night sky.
If clear skies continue through Saturday Taylor Observatory in Kelseyville will have telescopes aimed at Lovejoy starting at 8 p.m.
Other visitors from the Oort cloud include the famous Hale-Bopp comet of 1997. But the more familiar Halley”s comet, with an 76-year return cycle, originates from a closer cometary region called the Kuiper belt, just a little beyond the orbit of Neptune. Later this year, another Kuiper belt comet, Cheryumov-Gerasimenko, makes its closest approach to the sun with the Philae landing craft still attached. In November the Philae lander was launched from the Rosetta spacecraft with the expectation of providing valuable data about the origin of life in our solar system.
