Blazing a Ghostly Trail: ISON and Great Comets of the Past and Future (The Patrick Moore Practical Astronomy Series)

Ice and Fire: Great Comets to Come was written because a special celestial event climaxes towards the end of 2013 – the arrival, fresh from the Oort Cloud, of Comet C/2012 S1 (ISON). By all predictions – even the most pessimistic ones – this comet is set to be one of, perhaps the most, dazzling comet seen in modern history and has the astronomical world buzzing with anticipation. Skywatchers have already been primed for C/2012 (ISON) earlier in 2013 with the apparition of another naked-eye comet, C/2011 L4 (PanSTARRS), and following C/2012 S1 (ISON) there is the prospect of 2012 K1 (PanSTARRS) reaching naked eye visibility in August 2014. Future bright cometary prospects are also discussed, taking into account the latest predictions. Examining the origin and nature of comets using examples of great comets from the past, this book sets the scene for the arrival of Comet C/2012 S1 and those following it over the next few years in the inner Solar System. Skywatchers and amateur astronomers can learn how to follow, observe and record comets. There is also a guide on how to keep abreast of the latest cometary discoveries and how to use a variety of reputable sources, including publications, websites, programs and apps to visualize and plan observations. The role of the amateur in cometary discovery also is featured, as well as details on how professional astronomers plan to get the most ‘science’ out of cometary apparitions, how and why professionals go about discovering comets, and upcoming plans to visit comets with space probes (and later, perhaps, human visits). Illustrations provide historic images of comets, images from space probes and images of the latest bright comets. Orbital plots and easy-to-follow sky charts are also included. This book is a unique guide that sets the scene by giving a comprehensive history of comets and examples of great comets throughout history and informs the reader about the nature and origins of this spectacular occurence. Expectations are fully covered by explaining not only what the regular person can expect to see, but how amateur astronomers can plan observations and what steps the professionals are taking to ‘get the most science’ from this exciting event. Copyright 5 Preface 6 Stand By for Action 7 Acknowledgments 10 Contents 12 Chapter 1: What Are Comets and Asteroids 16 Icy Dirtballs 17 Comet Comas and Tails 20 Comet Orbits 24 A Distant Cometary Realm 25 Long-Period Comets 27 Short-Period Comets 27 Main Belt Comets 29 Asteroids: Vermin of the Skies 30 The Comet-Meteor Connection 37 Biela’s Comet and the Andromedid Meteor Shower 37 Major Annual Meteor Showers and Their Cometary Progenitors 41 Quadrantids 41 The Lyrids 42 Eta Aquariids 42 The Delta Aquariids 43 The Alpha Capricornids 43 The Perseids 44 The Draconids 44 The Orionids 45 The Taurids 46 The Leonids 46 Meteor Shower of 1833 46 Meteor Shower of 1866 48 Meteor Shower of 1899 48 Meteor Shower of 1966 49 The Geminids 51 Chapter 2: From Ancient Atmospherics to Icy Dirtballs 52 Identity Crisis 52 Cosmic Speculations in Ancient Greece: One Comet Fits All 53 Aristotle’s Atmospherics 57 Heliocentric Anticipation 60 Ptolemy’s Long-Lived Legacy 61 New Observations Alter Old Theories 63 Copernican Revolution 63 Cosmic Conundrums 67 Towards a Deeper Understanding: The Laws of Planetary Motion 71 Chapter 3: The Telescopic Era 75 Comets Under Closer Scrutiny 75 On the Shoulders of Giants 79 Newton Solves a Weighty Problem 83 Halley’s Insight 85 Some Visual Comet-Hunters Extraordinaire 88 Charles Messier, the Ferret of Comets 88 Caroline Herschel, the Comet-Sweeper 93 Pons, Le Grand Chercheur 96 Edward E. Barnard, ‘Eagle-Eyes’ Surpassed 98 Towards a Modern View 99 Chapter 4: Comets of the Enlightenment: Great Comets of the Seventeenth and Eighteenth Centuries 102 C/1618 W1 102 C/1664 W1 103 C/1665 F1 104 C/1668 E1 105 C/1680 V1 108 1P/Halley 1682 110 C/1686 R1 111 C/1743 X1 113 C/1769 P1 (Messier) 113 Chapter 5: Victorian Spectacles: Great Comets of the Nineteenth Century 118 Great Comet C/1807 R1 118 Great Comet C/1811 F1 120 Great March Comet C/1843 D1 122 C/1858 L1 (Donati) 125 Great Comet C/1861 J1 129 Great Southern Comet C/1865 B1 129 C/1874 H1 (Coggia) 131 Great September Comet C/1882 R1 132 Chapter 6: Comets in Plain View: Great Comets of the Twentieth Century 135 Great Comet C/1901G1 135 Great January Comet C/1910 A1 136 1P/Halley 1910 140 C/1927 X1 (Skjellerup-Maristany) 142 C/1965S1 (Ikeya-Seki) 145 C/1969 Y1 (Bennett) 147 C/1975V1 (West) 148 C/1996 B2 (Hyakutake) 150 C/1995 O1 (Hale-Bopp) 150 Chapter 7: Locating, Tracking, and Recording Comet Sightings 155 Locating Comets 155 Ephemerides 155 Celestial Atlases 156 Planetarium Programs 159 Computerized Telescopes 162 Manual Searches 163 Preparing Your Observing Template 163 Visual Detail Within the Comet 165 Recording Comets 166 Tracking Comets 168 Observational Example: Sequential Comet Observation, No Finder Chart Used 169 Observational Example: Sequential Comet Observation Using Finder Chart/Observing Template 170 Cybersketching 170 Basic Freehand Cybersketches 171 Things to Note 172 Measuring Position Angle (PA) 173 Imaging 174 Chapter 8: Choosing the Right Equipment 177 The Unaided Eye 177 Adapting to Darkness 180 Optical Instruments 181 Binoculars 181 Telescopes 187 Refractors 187 Reflectors 188 Catadioptrics 190 Eyepieces and Magnification 194 Light-Gathering Ability and Resolving Power 195 Seeing 197 Choosing Eyepieces 198 Basic Eyepieces 198 Quality Eyepieces 199 Wide Angle Eyepieces 200 Zoom Eyepieces 200 Barlow Lenses and Focal Reducers 201 Telescope Mounts 203 Chapter 9: ISON and Future Comets 205 C/2012S1 (ISON), 2013–2014 205 C/2012K1 (PanSTARRS), 2014 214 Periodic Comets 216 2P/Encke (Encke’s Comet), 2013, 2017 217 154P/Brewington, 2013–2014 217 290P/Jäger 219 4P/Faye, 2014 220 15P/Finlay, 2014–15 220 10P/Tempel (Tempel 2), 2015 222 9P/Tempel (Tempel 1), 2016 222 Appendix A 231 Comets Through the Eyes of Space Probes 231 Jupiter Takes Its Knocks 231 Close-Up of a Disintegrating Comet 234 Radar Captures Kleopatra 235 Splitting of C/2001 A2 (LINEAR) 237 Comets Blasted by the Sun 238 Juno Revealed 239 73P Is Breaking Up 239 Comet Lulin Goes Green 241 Hubble Images Asteroid Smash 243 Space Probe Views of Interplanetary Rock and Ice 246 Halley’s Comet 247 Galileo Glides By 248 Views from NEAR-Shoemaker 250 Views of Deep Space 252 Stardust’s Fantastic Voyage 253 Deep Impact 256 Deep Impact Reloaded 257 Hyabusa Hits the Mark 260 Rosetta: Two Asteroids and a Comet 263 Dawn’s Double Encounter 265 Moon and Beyond with Chang’e 2 267 Appendix B 269 Some Recent Comets of Note: An Observer’s Recollections 269 C/1983H1 (Iras-Araki-Alcock) 269 Halley’s Comet, 1985–1986 270 C/1987 P1 (Bradfield) 278 23P/Brorsen-Metcalf 279 C/1990K1 (Levy) 279 C/1991T2 (Shoemaker-Levy) 280 109P/Swift-Tuttle 282 153P/Ikeya-Zhang 282 C/2006 P1 (McNaught): The Great Comet of 2007 283 17P/Holmes 285 C/2011L4 (PanSTARRS) 287 Glossary 290 About the Author 296 Index 298 A Special Celestial Event Climaxes Towards The End Of 2013, The Arrival, Fresh From The Oort Cloud, Of Comet C/2012 S1 (ison). By All Predictions, This Comet Was Set To Be One Of The Most Dazzling Comets Seen In Modern History. Sky Watchers Will Have Already Been Primed For C/2012 (ison) Earlier In 2013 With The Apparition Of Another Naked-eye Comet, C/2011 L4 (panstarrs), And Following C/2012 S1 (ison) There Is The Prospect Of 2012 K1 (panstarrs) Reaching Naked-eye Visibility In August 2014. And There Will Be Other Bright Cometary Prospects In The Near Future, If We Take Into Account The Latest Predictions. This Book Sets The Scene For The Arrival Of Comet C/2012 S1 And Those Comets Following It Over The Next Few Years. It Explains How Sky Watchers And Amateur Astronomers Can Practically Follow Comets, Observe Them, And Record Them. This Is Also A Guide On How To Keep Abreast Of The Latest Cometary Discoveries And How To Use Publications, Websites, Programs, And Apps To Visualize And Plan Observations. The Book Includes: · Descriptions Of The Nature, Origins And Observing History Of Comets · A Detailed Guide To Seeing And Studying What Could Be The Greatest Comet Of Modern Times · Specially Prepared Maps Covering Bright Cometary Apparitions Of The Next Few Years. · Illustrations Of Recent Naked-eye Comets And Space Probe Images Of Large Comets. Introduction: Setting The Scene For C/2012 S1 (ison) And Incoming Comets -- What Is A Comet And Where Do They Come From? (primordial Leftovers, Oort Cloud, Etc) -- Portents Of Change And Doom (historical Perspectives On Comets, Myths And Superstitions, End Of World Predictions, Hyperbole) -- Great Comets (including Halley’s Comet, Ikeya-seki, Iras-araki-alcock, Hyakutake, Hale-bopp, Mcnaught, Etc) -- Comets Up Close observations By Space Probes (vega, Giotto, Ice, Deep Impact, Etc) -- C/2012 S1 And Selected Bright Comets Of The Future (discovery, Magnitude Predictions, Paths Through Solar System). By Peter Grego. Front Matter....Pages i-xiv What Are Comets and Asteroids....Pages 1-36 From Ancient Atmospherics to Icy Dirtballs....Pages 37-59 The Telescopic Era....Pages 61-87 Comets of the Enlightenment: Great Comets of the Seventeenth and Eighteenth Centuries....Pages 89-104 Victorian Spectacles: Great Comets of the Nineteenth Century....Pages 105-121 Comets in Plain View: Great Comets of the Twentieth Century....Pages 123-142 Locating, Tracking, and Recording Comet Sightings....Pages 143-164 Choosing the Right Equipment....Pages 165-192 ISON and Future Comets....Pages 193-218 Back Matter....Pages 219-294