Venus-Neptune Conjunction 2020
Jan 27 2020, 1806 UT; Just 7 arc-minutes separate mag -4.1 Venus from mag 7.9 Neptune, as seen through an 8-inch SCT. The closest planetary conjunction of 2020. Venus lies 27 times closer (105 ml miles v 2.86 bn miles) and shines 63,000 times brighter. Neptune’s diameter is 4 times greater (30,500 miles v 7,500 miles). Below: 1813 UT.
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Lunar Flypast
An Airbus A340 from Frankfurt to Bogota passes 0.8 of a degree north of the 3-day afternoon Moon. Nov 29 2019, 1434 UT.
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Panoramic Western Sky
Mar 28 2020, 2159 UT. A multitude of glistening jewels, featuring Venus on extreme right, approaching the Pleiades; Sirius on extreme left, 62 degrees distant; a 4.5 day Moon, overexposed; with Orion, Taurus and the Twins (top left)
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C/2019 Y1 – Comet ATLAS
Discovered in December 2019 by the Hawaii-based survey (35th discovery). Reportedly a fragment of C/1988 A1 Liller, as are C/1996 Q1 Tabur and C/2015 F3 Swan. Imaged here (arrowed) sliding past the Sailboat Cluster (NGC 225), 110 million miles from Earth. Perihelion – Mar 16 at 0.9 AU; perigee – May 3 at 1.17 AU. Est mag 8.4. C/2019 Y1 has an orbital period of ~3,500 years. With (a) mag 6.6 HIP 3532 in Cassiopeia. Apr 13 2020, 2343 IST. [32nd observed comet]
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Venus – Pleiades Conjunction
Apr 4 2020, 2151 IST; Mag -4.5 Venus continuing its 8-yearly close encounter with M45, the Pleiades star cluster. Closest approach was on the previous evening when passing 15 arcminutes south of the brightest member, Alcyone [clouds]. Seen here at a separation of 24 arcminutes from (a) mag 3.6 Atlas. Venus lay 58 million miles distant on this evening; the Seven Sisters ~440 LY. Below – Apr 5, 2309 IST; separation now 1.3°.
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C/2019 Y4 – Comet ATLAS
Also discovered in December 2019 by the Hawaii-based survey, with orbitally-similar characteristics to the Great Comet, C/1844 Y1; both being remnants of a single large object which fragmented some 5,000 years ago. The comet was forecast to reach naked-eye magnitude, but disintegrated in the weeks preceding perihelion, beginning around Apr 5th. Imaged above (arrowed) on Mar 30 2020, 0129 IST at est mag 8.3; 100 million miles from Earth. Perihelion – May 31 at 0.25 AU; perigee – May 24 at 0.79 AU. C/2019 Y4 had an orbital period of ~6,000 years. With (a) mag 5.3 HIP 40215, 55 Cam, on the Ursa Major/Camelopardalis border. Below, during fragmentation, still at mag 8.8; Apr 14 2020, 0001 IST. With (a) mag 7.7 HIP 31843 in Camelopardalis. [33rd observed comet]
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Ireland's Oldest People 