Comet Chasing: More Than Meets the Eye
How often are comets that are accessible with amateur equipment visible in the sky? The answer, which surprised me when I first heard it, is most of the time. The days of extremely dedicated amateur astronomers sweeping the sky every night in hopes of being the first to spot a spectacular comet are mostly gone. But automated surveys constantly monitor the sky and locate a large number of visible comets each year, making it possible for us to observe one almost anytime. On Monday, Greg Crinklaw, who is best known for his amazing software SkyTools, will share his other astronomical passion with us - observing comets. Greg keeps track of the comets that are known to be visible on his Comet Chasing website and provides the information necessary for anyone with appropriate equipment to observe them. Imaging comets can be challenging and Greg is an expert in that too. It's possible that, after Greg's talk, you'll develop a passion for these frequent fuzzy visitors and become a comet chaser too. Please see Greg's description of his talk below. It would be fun to have you join us.
On any given night, several comets are usually visible in a 6-inch
telescope or larger. In this talk, Greg will share tips and techniques
to regularly add telescopic comets to your visual observing routine, and tricks for imaging them too. We'll also look for lessons from the recent Comet Nishimura's unexpected reputation trajectory and delve into the exciting comet 12P/Pons-Brooks, which is bound to generate a lot of interest-for better or worse-next Spring.
About Greg Crinklaw
Greg Crinklaw is best known as the developer of the indispensable
SkyTools software. With degrees in astronomy and astrophysics, he still considers himself to be an amateur astronomer. A dedicated Comet Chaser for 30 years, his Comet Chasing website has been the go-to monthly resource for comet enthusiasts for over two decades. Greg resides with his family in Cloudcroft, New Mexico.