------------------------------------------------------------------- THE ASTRONOMER Electronic Circular No 3047 2014 Dec 21 16.11UT Ed:Guy M Hurst, 16,Westminster Close, Kempshott Rise, Basingstoke, Hants, RG22 4PP,England.Telephone/FAX(01256)471074Int:+441256471074 INTERNET: GUY@TAHQ.DEMON.CO.UK Backup: gmh@wdcc1.bnsc.rl.ac.uk WORLD WIDE WEB http://www.theastronomer.org ------------------------------------------------------------------- COMET C/2014Q2 (LOVEJOY) This comet is gradually becoming well placed for northern skies observation. Orbital Elements (Minor Planet Center website): T 2015 Jan. 30.0823 TT MPC q 1.290773 (2000.0) P Q z +0.001483 Peri. 12.3772 -0.1209935 -0.1452554 +/-0.000053 Node 94.9937 +0.8058287 -0.5920328 e 0.998086 Incl. 80.3021 +0.5796556 +0.7927156 >From 145 observations 2014 July 1-Sept. 6, mean residual 0".5. Ephemeris: Date TT R. A. (2000) Decl. Delta r Elong. Phase m1 2014 12 20 06 23 16.4 -36 46 12 0.6626 1.4302 119.3 36.9 9.2 2014 12 21 06 17 30.4 -35 51 22 0.6450 1.4239 120.5 36.6 9.1 2014 12 22 06 11 33.6 -34 51 28 0.6279 1.4177 121.6 36.2 9.0 2014 12 23 06 05 26.2 -33 46 07 0.6113 1.4117 122.8 35.9 8.9 2014 12 24 05 59 08.9 -32 35 02 0.5954 1.4057 124.0 35.5 8.9 2014 12 25 05 52 42.2 -31 17 52 0.5801 1.3999 125.1 35.1 8.8 2014 12 26 05 46 07.0 -29 54 22 0.5655 1.3943 126.2 34.7 8.7 2014 12 27 05 39 24.0 -28 24 17 0.5516 1.3887 127.3 34.3 8.6 2014 12 28 05 32 34.2 -26 47 28 0.5387 1.3833 128.3 33.9 8.6 2014 12 29 05 25 38.5 -25 03 47 0.5266 1.3780 129.2 33.6 8.5 2014 12 30 05 18 38.2 -23 13 15 0.5155 1.3729 130.0 33.3 8.4 2014 12 31 05 11 34.2 -21 15 59 0.5054 1.3679 130.7 33.0 8.4 2015 01 01 05 04 27.8 -19 12 11 0.4965 1.3630 131.3 32.8 8.3 2015 01 02 04 57 20.2 -17 02 14 0.4887 1.3583 131.7 32.7 8.3 2015 01 03 04 50 12.5 -14 46 39 0.4822 1.3537 131.9 32.7 8.2 2015 01 04 04 43 06.0 -12 26 07 0.4769 1.3493 131.9 32.8 8.2 2015 01 05 04 36 01.9 -10 01 24 0.4730 1.3450 131.7 33.1 8.2 2015 01 06 04 29 01.3 -07 33 25 0.4704 1.3409 131.2 33.5 8.1 2015 01 07 04 22 05.2 -05 03 11 0.4692 1.3369 130.6 34.0 8.1 2015 01 08 04 15 14.8 -02 31 46 0.4693 1.3331 129.7 34.6 8.1 2015 01 09 04 08 30.9 -00 00 13 0.4709 1.3294 128.7 35.3 8.1 2015 01 10 04 01 54.5 +02 30 23 0.4738 1.3259 127.4 36.1 8.1 2015 01 11 03 55 26.2 +04 59 03 0.4781 1.3225 126.1 37.0 8.1 2015 01 12 03 49 06.7 +07 24 54 0.4836 1.3193 124.6 37.9 8.1 2015 01 13 03 42 56.6 +09 47 07 0.4904 1.3163 123.0 38.8 8.1 2015 01 14 03 36 56.4 +12 05 04 0.4984 1.3134 121.3 39.8 8.2 2015 01 15 03 31 06.4 +14 18 13 0.5075 1.3107 119.6 40.7 8.2 2015 01 16 03 25 26.9 +16 26 12 0.5177 1.3082 117.8 41.7 8.2 2015 01 17 03 19 58.1 +18 28 45 0.5288 1.3058 116.1 42.6 8.3 2015 01 18 03 14 40.2 +20 25 44 0.5409 1.3036 114.4 43.4 8.3 2015 01 19 03 09 33.2 +22 17 08 0.5538 1.3016 112.6 44.2 8.4 2015 01 20 03 04 37.1 +24 02 58 0.5674 1.2997 110.9 45.0 8.4 Graham Wolf (New Zealand): Comet 2014 Q2 (Lovejoy) has visually flared up and down in visual magnitude, briefly getting into the 5.5-6.0 (becoming briefly naked eye in New Zealand and Australia just a few days ago (Dec 18). The magnitudes in the ephemeris are from the Minor Planet Center but the comet may well become much brighter and a comfortable binocular object. Charts with approved magnitudes can be accessed at: http://www.shopplaza.nl/astro/ (Reinder Bouma), selecting 'comets-charts' Guy M Hurst