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March 22, 2020  

‘COVID-19 Comet’ The Nickname For C/2019 Y4 (ATLAS) Which Could Light Up The Skies In May — As The Virus …

by Anura Guruge

Covid-19 Comet virus Anura Guruge

Click to ENLARGE.

Click to ENLARGE and read here. Wikipedia: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/C/2019_Y4_(ATLAS)

It is common to give major comets nicknames based on when they will make their appearance. So, we have had: ‘great March comet‘, ‘Christmas comet‘, ‘Thanksgiving comet‘ etc.

Well, the expectation is that C/2019 Y4 (ATLAS) will start to peak around May 2020. That will also be when COVID-19 is really making its mark in the U.S.

With luck, the ‘COVID-19 Comet‘ will be a distraction. A heavenly sign that things are coming to an end.

Whatever, there is no other apropos name for this comet, C/2019 Y4 (ATLAS). It has to be the COVID-19 Comet.

Related posts:
Search: ‘comet’.

by Anura Guruge

March 18, 2020  

ANOTHER Possible Naked Eye Visible Comet, C/2019 Y4 (ATLAS) — But Let Us Not Get Hopes Up.

by Anura Guruge

Click to ENLARGE.

Click to ENLARGE and read here. Wikipedia: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/C/2019_Y4_(ATLAS)

This comet looks promising BUT when it comes to comet so many let you down badly. Remember, remember my great comet, C/2012 S1 (ISON). See one of my diagrams below.

We have had a couple more since that failed to deliver on their promise.

C/2019 Y4 is currently around the orbit of Mars.

In a month’s time it will be getting close to us as the top diagram shows.

I will keep you posted. Promise.

If you are interested in comets check my COMET book (below) and here.

Comet ISON IF it had rounded the Sun — rather than getting FRIED by it, because it went so close.

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by Anura Guruge

March 17, 2020  

2020 Spring Equinox In New Hampshire: Thursday, March 19 at 11:49 pm (Eastern); 03:49 Greenwich.

by Anura Guruge

Happy Spring Equinox 2020.

[It is also called the Vernal Equinox
— that being the Latin for ‘Spring’.]

Click to ENLARGE.

I also share with you “Spring“.

Please enjoy.

Sunrise/Sunset for New Hampshire as of the
2020 Spring Equinox.

Notice that it is NOT EXACTLY 12 hours of sunlight on the Equinox.
That is mainly because we are so good at measuring time.
It has to do with the so called precession of the Earth’s axis.
Our rotation WOBBLES like a spinning top.

From, of course (where else), ‘timeanddate.com‘.

Click to ENLARGE and view here.
Use link below for original.

Click here for the ‘timeanddate.com’ original.

Yes, we are USED to the Spring Equinox being on March 20 (or 21).

Click to ENLARGE. Also from ‘timeanddate.com’.

This is the earliest it has been in the US in 124 years.

The key here, however, is ‘US’. It is still March 20 in Greenwich — and to us astronomers that is good enough.

Rather convoluted explanation as to why it is this early. If you really want to know, here is a link.

But note, it will again be March 19 — in the US — in 4-years. Yes, that it is also a LEAP YEAR does have a bearing.

As is my custom let me also please share some
catching ‘Allegories of Spring’.

 

 

Related posts:
Search ‘Spring Equinox’.
Check Category ‘astronomy’.

by Anura Guruge

March 5, 2020  

Those Two Bright Objects In The Sky Over New Hampshire — One Is Venus, The Other Sirius.

by Anura Guruge

Click to ENLARGE. From the (new) ‘staratlas.com’

Just got in from walking the dogs. WOW. The night sky is bright and CRISP. Haven’t seen it this vivid in a longtime and I go out, at night, MULTIPLE times, including a 20-minute walk around 11pm.

Sirius was very noticeable below Orion. Sirius, is the Dog Star — the brightest star in the night sky. It is actually brighter than Jupiter. This serious brightness of Sirius is due to two factors: it is relatively nearby and it is big — twice as big as the Sun. It is 8.6 light years away. So what we are seeing now is what Sirius was doing 8 years 7 months ago.

On the other side of Orion, impossible to miss, shining bright is Venus.

A few months ago, the bright light was Jupiter. Now, in March, Jupiter has become a MORNING planet. I do not see anything in the morning sky. I try NOT to wake up much before 8:30am. It is NOT civilized or right to do so earlier. I need my sleep, thank you.

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by Anura Guruge

February 27, 2020  

Betelgeuse (In Orion) Has Indeed NOTICEABLY Got Brighter In The Last Few Days.

by Anura Guruge

Click to ENLARGE. Betelgeuse is the ORANGE dot, top left above the three stars making up the belt. You can definitely see that it is orange.

This was from just yesterday. Click image to access the original.

Click to access my post from 2-months ago.

I like Betelgeuse and Rigel — the two brightest stars in Orion, the former above the belt and the latter below.

In the Winter, in New Hampshire, I see Orion in the night sky whenever it is cloudfree.

I have been checking on Betelgeuse. It would be quite something to see a Supernova.

I go out, at night, walking, TWICE a night. So, if it is cloudfree, I can observe the heavens.

I too had noticed that Betelgeuse had got brighter, and more orange, in the last few days.

Then, I started seeing the media reports. So, I was not alone.

Just wanted to keep you in the loop. Go out and look up. It is quite the sight.

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Category ‘Astronomy’.

by Anura Guruge

 

February 15, 2020  

That Bright ‘Star’, To The West, Over New Hampshire, Is Jupiter.

by Anura Guruge

Click to ENLARGE. From the (new) ‘staratlas.com’

I take the dogs out for their evening constitution around 6:20pm. We see this sight to the West. Wanted to share with you. Just in case you were wondering. It is too bright to be a star. More to the East, and less bright (because it is smaller) you will have Saturn. OK? Enjoy.

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by Anura Guruge

February 9, 2020  

Mesmerizing Map Of The ‘Near’ Solar System By Biologist Eleanor Lutz.

by Anura Guruge

Click to ENLARGE.

Click to access original article in ‘Visual Capitalist’.

I saw this on my Google News feed and had to share it with you.

Brilliant. Mesmerizing. Kudos. Bravo. THANK YOU.

Definite leap forward from the older map provided by NASA.

I do NOT in any way want to be churlish but given my passion for dwarf planets and comets I have to contend that this does NOT go far enough. It stops at the Kuiper Belt. The Solar System goes much, much further.

There is the ‘Scattered Disc’ for the start and the ‘Oort Cloud‘. See diagram below. But, this map is still BRILLIANT. I love it.

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Check Category ‘Astronomy‘.

by Anura Guruge

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