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Comet!
by Aaron Turner - Friday, 20 June 2014, 11:39 PM
 

This has already been quite a good year for comets - as long as you have a good view of a horizon and don't mind getting up hours before dawn.  (Here in Turner land we have trees as you recall, and if I'm up at 3-5am its because I'm headed to work). Well, finally we are going to have a surprise opportunity to view a rather bright comet (you will need binoculars or a small telescope) high in the sky in evening hours. 

The surprise is interesting in itself. A newly discovered asteroid suddenly sprouted a tail s it neared the sun. 2013 UQ4 Catalina (discovered in October, 2013 by the Catalina Sky Survey project) has now brightened to about 10th magnitude (should be barely visible in my telescope).  The brightness curve is predicted to reach magnitude 7 on or about July 6th, when it reaches both perihelion and perogee at approximately the same time. For a few nights around that date, binoculars should easily find the comet. 

From the beginning of July through about the 9th, look for Cygnus in the east around 9pm.  Scan the sky to the northeast from the brightest star in Cygnus (Deneb, at the tail of the swan). With some luck, you will see a bright head and dimmer tail forming the comet. 

I will take a shot at this myself very soon, and will keep you guys updated. 

Update: Bit lower in the sky than I thought. Try 10:30pm in early July, Cygnus will be about three spread hands above the Eastern horizon.