Rare Comet Imagining Opportunity

Hi all,

Got this from BAA e-bulletin, its a good challenge for the heavy hitters with the big scopes and the CCD cameras.

BAA electronic bulletin No. 00300 www.britastro.org/
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Within the last day or so, three observatories have independently recovered
periodic comet, P/2002 O5 (NEAT) - also known as P/2007 N2 (NEAT) and 189P.
The comet is currently passing about 0.2 AU from the Earth and is magnitude
15-16 and has a coma/tail about 20-25 arcsec across.

Seiichi Yoshida has just drawn attention to the fact that this comet will
pass almost directly in front of another comet, C/2005 L3 (McNaught) on July
20 at about 22h UT. This comet is very much further away being around 5 AU
from the Earth and almost 6 AU from the Sun at present yet is slightly
brighter than P/2007 N2 possibly magnitude 14-15.

Observers in the UK and Europe will have an opportunity to monitor this
close appulse on the night of Friday 20th. Seen from the UK, closest
approach is at 22:03 UT (11.03 pm local time) when the cometary nuclei will
be a mere 28 arcsec apart (less than the apparent diameter of Jupiter).
Indeed the coma of both comets will overlap for a time. Closest approach
takes place about 10 minutes after the end of nautical twilight in the UK
and so the sky will only just be dark enough to witness this very rare
appulse. The two comets will be fairly high in the sky (roughly 35 degrees
altitude) seen from the UK and will be close to due south at the time. The
relative motion of the two comets is such that the faster-moving
newly-recovered comet P/2007 N2 will drift past C/2005 L3 at an apparent
rate of 5 arcsec/minute in position angle 030 degrees.

This is a real observing challenge for BAA members equipped with a CCD
camera and a moderately large telescope.

The mid-position at closest approach, which is in the constellation of
Ophiuchus, will be:

R.A. 17h 21m 31.5s
Dec.-01d 59m 20s

Richard Miles

Neill

Neil,

A huge thanks for the heads-up and this wonderful imaging opportunity. I never remember seeing a photo of two comets close together, especially as close you describe here, and which will be truly rare.

Good stuff!

Anthony, that would be a stunning image if you get it!
We eagerly await your results!!

Me to

Fat chance of seeing that given the weather at the moment.