I don;t have much time right now, so here's a quick bulletin from the SPA.
NEW COMET IKEYA-MURAKAMI: Spaceweather.com Newly-discovered comet C/2010 V1 (Ikeya-Murakami) is putting on a good show for anyone with a telescope and an alarm clock. The comet is rapidly changing, and the shape of its atmosphere is similar to that of Comet Holmes after it had an outburst in 2007. Indeed, Comet Ikeya-Murakami seems likely to be experiencing a similar event. It has been in the far reaches of the Solar System for a very long time, but has been falling in towards the Sun, to which it made its closest approach (1.7 AU) in late October, so it has recently been receiving a dose of solar heating. The various automated search programmes that have taken so much of the fun (or at least success) out of old- fashioned comet-hunting in recent years, finding comets of the twentieth magnitude that nobody can see, did not discover this one. It was two Japanese amateurs, looking through their respective telescopes, who discovered it, after perihelion and already at about its present brightness; if it had been of a comparable brightness for months before, it could be expected to have been discovered sooner, although it has been approaching from behind the Sun. Ikeya was the first to see it; his name is familiar from his discovery 45 years ago of the Sun-grazing Comet Ikeya-Seki, one of the most spectacular comets of the 20th century. Amateur astronomers are encouraged to monitor developments. Various reports put the brightness of the comet between 7th and 9th magnitude, invisible to the naked eye but easy to see in telescopes and likely to be visible even binoculars. It is easy to find, in the eastern sky before dawn, a degree or so south of Saturn this morning and moving slowly south-east more or less parallel to the ecliptic, a little less than one degree a day. Bulletin compiled by Clive Down (c) 2010 the Society for Popular Astronomy The Society for Popular Astronomy has been helping beginners to amateur astronomy -- and more experienced observers -- for 50 years. If you are not a member then you may be missing something. Membership rates are extremely reasonable, starting at just £16 a year in the UK. You will receive our bright quarterly magazine Popular Astronomy, regular printed News Circulars, help and advice in pursuing your hobby, the chance to hear top astronomers at our regular meetings, and other benefits. The best news is that you can join online right now with a credit card or debit card at our lively website: http://www.popastro.com/
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