* Astronomy

Blobrana · L

RE: Comet 8P/Tuttle

Blobrana · L

Astronomers have discovered their first grab-bag comet. Radar observations of the small, icy nucleus of a comet known as Tuttle suggest that it consists of two clumps that touch each other, like the two halves of the number eight. "It's almost certainly a contact binary," says John Harmon of the Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico, who presented his team's findings here this past weekend at the 40th meeting of the Division for Planetary Sciences of the American Astronomical Society. The unexpected find opens up a window on the early history of our solar system.

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Blobrana · L

The first contact binary is discovered a comet that is two chunks somehow held together
When Comet 8P/Tuttle passed close to Earth early this year, astronomers took its portrait with the Arecibo radio telescope in Puerto Rico. To their surprise, the radar images have revealed that the comet consists of two chunks that appear to be held together by a narrow neck of material.
The portrait suggests that the body is the first known example of a comet that is a contact binary. Researchers arent sure how the structure formed.

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Blobrana · L

Date    TT    R. A. (2000) Decl.     Delta      r     Elong.  Phase   m1 
2008 03 05    03 42.87   -55 07.8    0.973    1.177    73.6    53.9   9.4
2008 03 10    03 52.59   -56 15.4    1.017    1.214    74.3    51.9   9.7
2008 03 15    04 03.32   -57 17.7    1.057    1.255    75.3    50.1  10.1
2008 03 20    04 15.22   -58 16.0    1.093    1.297    76.6    48.3  10.5
2008 03 25    04 28.45   -59 10.9    1.126    1.341    78.1    46.7  10.8
2008 03 30    04 43.17   -60 02.5    1.156    1.387    79.8    45.1  11.2

Blobrana · L

The comet is starting to fade rapidly....

Date    TT    R. A. (2000) Decl.     Delta      r     Elong.  Phase   m1 
2008 02 04    02 55.24   -43 52.6    0.620    1.034    76.5    67.9   7.3  
2008 02 09    03 02.93   -46 41.4    0.688    1.046    75.0    65.6   7.6  
2008 02 14    03 10.44   -48 58.1    0.753    1.063    73.9    63.2   7.9  
2008 02 19    03 17.98   -50 51.9    0.814    1.085    73.3    60.7   8.3  
2008 02 24    03 25.77   -52 28.8    0.872    1.112    73.1    58.3   8.6  
2008 02 29    03 34.00   -53 53.1    0.924    1.143    73.2    56.1   9.0

Blobrana · L

Comet 8P/Tuttle meets Galaxy M33

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Blobrana · L

On Sunday the Comet 8P/Tuttle will appear to pass near the magnitude 5.7 Pinwheel Galaxy (M33).

Expand (10kb, 792 x 554)

Position(2000): RA = 01 : 33.9 Dec = +30 : 39

astrocomet · New

Fab-many thanks for the update, correction and info-once the skies clear within the last days of December (hopefully) I will be having a look around for this one as well as Comet Holmes if it hasn't dissipated away too much and faded away to the background darkness of the night sky-

GOOD CLEAR ONES-HOPEFULLY......

Blobrana · L

Comet 8P/Tuttle will be approaching its maximum brightness as it crosses Cassiopeia in the next-to-last week of December.
http://lyrandgyastronomers.blogspot.com

Blobrana · L

8P Tuttle.kmz
Google Sky file (2kb, kmz)

-- Edited by Blobrana at 14:17, 2008-01-12