solar system

Abbreviations- M, million; K, thousand; LY, light years; Temp, temperature; RH, relative humidity; DP, dew point; NA, not applicable;  FOV- field of view; AU- astronomical units (1 AU = distance from Sun to Earth or 93 million miles).

Click on the images below to view a larger (1200 x 800) version in a new window.  If your screen resolution is less than 1200 x 800, click on the image in the new window to view the full version.

 

Comet ISON is a sungrazing comet from the Oort cloud that may become visible to the naked eye in November of 2013.  It will pass 1.15 million miles from the Sun at its perihelion (closest distance) on November 28, 2013.  It's closest distance to Earth will be 40 million miles on December 26, 2013.  The comet's magnitude in this image is approximately 14, or about 1,500 times below naked eye visibility.
	Object	C/2012 S1 (Comet ISON)
	Distance	104 million miles from Earth
	Constellation	Leo
	Link	C/2012 S1 (Comet ISON)
	Date	November 04, 2013 (Tucson, AZ)
	Conditions	Clear, Temp- 65 F
	Moon	New moon
	Seeing	2.0 - 3.0 arc-sec
	Telescope	RCOS 12.5" Ritchey-Chretien
	CCD camera	SBIG STL11000M
	Luminance	5 x 2 min 2 x 2
	Red	5 x 2 min 2 x 2
	Green	5 x 2 min 2 x 2
	Blue	5 x 2 min 2 x 2
	HA	NA
	Click here to see a larger version.

Elapsed time in the animation is 90 minutes.  Click on the image to see a larger version with labels.
	Object	C/2012 S1 (Comet ISON) Animation
	Distance	150 million miles from Earth
	Constellation	Leo
	Link	C/2012 S1 (Comet ISON)
	Date	October 20, 2013 (Tucson, AZ)
	Conditions	Clear, Temp- 55 F
	Moon	Full moon
	Seeing	2.0 - 3.0 arc-sec
	Telescope	RCOS 12.5" Ritchey-Chretien
	CCD camera	SBIG STL11000M
	Luminance	17 x 5 min 1 x 1 (taken just before dawn)
	Red	NA
	Green	NA
	Blue	NA
	HA	NA
	Click here to see a zoomed-in version.  You can also see an asteroid to the right moving in the same direction as the comet.

 

2012 DA14 is an asteroid that came within 17,000 miles of Earth on 02/15/13, which is within the geosynchronous satellite ring.  It measures 150 feet in diameter and weighs 130,000 metric tons.  It is traveling at 17,450 miles per hour.  Had it hit earth, it would have released about 2.5 megatons of energy, which is 150 times the yield of the Hiroshima bomb.
	Object	2012 DA14
	Distance	Unknown
	Constellation	Ursa Minor
	Link	2012 DA14
	Date	February 15, 2013 (Tucson, AZ)
	Conditions	Clear
	Moon	Waxing crescent
	Seeing	2.0 - 3.0 arc-sec
	Telescope	RCOS 12.5" Ritchey-Chretien
	CCD camera	SBIG STL11000M
	Luminance	10 x 1 min 2 x 2
	Red	NA
	Green	NA
	Blue	NA
	HA	NA

 

4179 Toutatis is an asteroid that came within 4.3 million miles of Earth on 12/11/12.  It measures 2.8 miles in its longest diameter and weighs 50 billion metric tons, which is roughly the size of Chicxulub, the asteroid that killed the dinosaurs 65 million years ago.
	Object	4179 Toutatis
	Distance	4.3 million miles
	Constellation	Pisces
	Link	4179 Toutatis
	Date	December 12, 2012 (Tucson, AZ)
	Conditions	Clear
	Moon	New moon
	Seeing	2.0 - 3.0 arc-sec
	Telescope	RCOS 12.5" Ritchey-Chretien
	CCD camera	SBIG STL11000M
	Luminance	24 x 1 min 2 x 2
	Red	NA
	Green	NA
	Blue	NA
	HA	NA

 

	Object	Comet C/2002 T7 (Linear)
	Distance	Unknown
	Constellation	NA
	Link	APOD
	Date	April 20, 2004 (Kitt Peak, Tucson, AZ)
	Conditions	Clear
	Moon	New moon
	Seeing	Unknown
	Telescope	RCOS 20" Ritchey-Chretien
	CCD camera	SBIG ST10XME
	Luminance	6 min 1 x 1
	Red	6 min 2 x 2
	Green	6 min 2 x 2
	Blue	6 min 2 x 2
	HA	NA
	Image taken by Adam Block, Svend and Carl Freytag

 

	Object	Moon
	Distance	222,000 miles (at perigee)
	Constellation	NA
	Link	NA
	Date	May 06, 2012 (Tucson, AZ)
	Conditions	Clear, Temp- 68 F, RH- 21%, DP- 26 F
	Moon	Full moon
	Seeing	2.0 - 3.0 arc-sec
	Telescope	RCOS 12.5" Ritchey-Chretien @ f9
	CCD camera	SBIG STL11000M
	Luminance	NA
	Red	NA
	Green	NA
	Blue	0.01 seconds
	HA	NA
	Click here to see a larger version.

 

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