2014-03-21

Update on Supernova 2014J in M82

 Supernova 2014J in M82 is the brightest supernova we have seen in a while.   

SN 2014J is the closest type Ia supernova since 1972, and the closest of any type since 2004.  

Close - well, at a distance of 11.5 million light years, it's not really all that close unless you are an astronomer!


2014-03-19

Update on M65 and Supernova 2013am

This is an update from a blog posting from last year:
http://myquestar.blogspot.com/2013/03/supernova-in-m65.html.

I see no visual appearance of last year's supernova, the first ever seen in Galaxy M65.





2014-03-16

Double Transit of Jupiter!



The shadow of one moon, Ganymede, is clearly seen in the image above.  You can just make out the partial shadow of Io.  The images below, however, show both shadows very well.  


2014-03-13

Comet 134P/Kowal-Vavrova


Comet 134P/Kowal-Vavrova is one of many periodic comets.  It's orbital period is 15.6 years. 

It was discovered May 8, 1983. The announcement was made in September by Charles T. Kowal, who had discovered the comet by examining photographic plates made May 8, 9 and 15 with the 1.2-m Schmidt telescope at Palomar Observatory.  The comet appeared as a diffuse, condensed trail on the three plates. He estimated the magnitude as 16.

Shortly after the September announcement of the discovery, it was determined that asteroid 1983 JG was actually the same celestial body as the comet.  The discoverer of the suspected asteroid was Zdenka Vavrova of the Klet' Observatory in the Czech Republic.  Therefore his name was also assigned to the comet.

Jim Scotti recovered the comet with the Spacewatch telescope at Kitt Peak on December 5, 1997 when it was 22nd mag.


On this return, as with the two previous visits into inner Solar System, the comet is not a very impressive comet, but it is an interesting challenge for the astronomer.