18/04/2024
COMET WATCHERS: RIGHT now over the next 7 days (18th to 25th) is the best time to see COMET 12P/Pons-Brooks. Go to the western sky after sunset, they suggest within the hour afterwards and look to the west where you can see planet Jupiter (very bright) and the Comet will be nearby, above Jupiter's light. We only get this short time to see it in the Southern Hemisphere. The Sun sets around 5.30pm and Jupiter will be the bright star you see about 45 degrees north of the mid-western point on the horizon. The Full Moon is the Wednesday 24th here. Read the ABC story here to get more details ... The 22nd is Earth Day and also the best day (night) for the Lyrid Meteor Shower.
If you're a keen stargazer, the most important date to put in your calender to be able to see the Comet is April 21. This is when the comet will be closest to the Sun (or perihelion) and at its brightest. It will reach a "magnitude" — a logarithmic measurement of brightness used by astronomers — of around 4.5. This is enough to see with the naked eye, but less bright than the brightest stars in the sky, which have a magnitude of -1. Professor Jonti Horner (USQ) says the comet will "look like a bit of a fuzzy blob" to the naked eye, and its tail may also be visible in dark locations.
Although the advice varies depending on your location around Australia, about 60 minutes after sunset is the comet-viewing sweet spot, when it's dark enough to see the stars, and 12P/Pons-Brooks itself isn't too low on the horizon. "Go and find somewhere dark, away from city lights," advises Donna Burton, an astronomer at the Milroy Observatory.
Although the comet will be visible with the naked eye, Ms Burton suggests taking a pair of binoculars just in case, as you'll be more likely to see the tail and other features of the comet.
