Comet C/2002 V1 NEAT
The path of Comet NEAT through SOHO's C3 coronagraph, Feb. 16-20, 2003. Image: SOHO.
After a close encounter with the Sun last month, Comet NEAT has emerged from the Sun's glare into the evening skies of the southern hemisphere.
What's Up in Space -- 16 Feb 2003
More news:
COMET NEAT
Comet NEAT (C/2002 V1) is plunging toward the Sun. At closest approach on Feb. 18th
its distance from our star will be only 0.1 AU--much closer than the planet Mercury.
The Sun's glare will hide the encounter from sky watchers on Earth, but not from
coronagraphs onboard
the orbiting Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO). Comet NEAT will enter
SOHO's field of view on Feb. 16th and remain visible until Feb. 20th.
Comet NEAT captured on the 31st of January. This is the median of 43 images of 50sec. each. Captured in the time period from 17:32:01 UT to 18:17:56 UT.
Captured by: Soren V. Andersen, David Lange, Martin Sorensen, Kristian Mandrup and Michael Jensen. Image size = 1.2 degrees - the comet has an angular size more than twice the full Moon.
Courtesy: The observatory at EUC Syd and AGS - Sonderborg
Ephemeris
Comet NEAT (C/2002 V1)
Date R.A. (2000) Dec Elong. Magn. Constellation
(0h UT) h m o ' o
Feb. 2 22 58.3 +06 57 37.7 5.3 Psc
Feb. 4 22 50.8 +06 21 34.0 4.9 Peg
Feb. 6 22 42.8 +05 38 30.2 4.4 Peg
Feb. 8 22 34.2 +04 44 26.3 3.9 Peg
Feb. 10 22 24.9 +03 35 22.3 3.2 Peg
Feb. 12 22 14.6 +02 03 18.0 2.3 Aqr
Feb. 14 22 03.1 -00 08 13.6 1.1 Aqr
Feb. 16 21 50.5 -03 37 9.0 -0.6 Aqr
Feb. 18 21 41.9 -09 48 5.8 -2.5 Cap
Feb. 20 21 53.3 -17 13 7.5 -1.2 Cap
Feb. 22 22 16.0 -21 54 11.5 0.8 Aqr
Feb. 24 22 39.7 -24 43 15.3 2.2 Aqr
Feb. 26 23 02.4 -26 28 18.7 3.2 PsA
Feb. 28 23 23.6 -27 32 21.7 4.0 Scl
Mar. 2 23 43.2 -28 07 24.2 4.7 Scl
Mar. 4 0 01.2 -28 22 26.5 5.2 Scl
Mar. 6 0 17.8 -28 22 28.4 5.8 Scl
Mar. 8 0 33.0 -28 12 30.0 6.3 Scl
Mar. 10 0 46.9 -27 54 31.4 6.7 Scl
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