COMETARY ACTIVITY MISSIONS

MISSION Nishimura

Comet C/2023 P1 (Nishimura) is a newly discovered, long-period comet and it is brightening quickly. It will reach perihelion on September 17, 2023, where it will come within 0.23 AU of the Sun. At this time, C/2023 P1 will be at its brightest, potentially reaching a naked eye level magnitude. This comet will fade quickly after perihelion. In fact, this comet may not survive the heat from the Sun during its perihelion passage at all! So, observe this comet while you still can! 

To observe your target:

Follow the HowTo Guide for B. The target is NOT in the App Catalog. Use your smartphone to generate a Deep Link with our Comets Ephemeris tool. 

Take at least 1 observation.

MISSION A3

Comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan–ATLAS) will reach perihelion on September 27, 2024 and make its close approach to the Earth on October 12, 2024. Around this time, the comet is expected to be seen easily by the naked eye. Observing this comet now will help to determine just how bright the comet will be at its maximum.

To observe your target:

Follow the HowTo Guide for A. The target is in the Unistellar app’s database.
In the Recording field be sure the following information is entered:

Record duration : 20min
Exposure time : 3971ms
Gain : 25db

Take at least 2 observations.

MISSION 12P

Comet 12P/Pons-Brooks is a Halley-type comet, and only reaches perihelion once every 71 years. It will reach perihelion on April 21, 2024 and is predicted to be visible to the naked eye around this time. This will line up well with the Solar eclipse, which occurs on April 8, 2024. The comet may be bright enough to observe during the eclipse! Currently, 12P is faint, but it experienced an outburst in June 2023, causing it to become 100 times brighter for several weeks. It is important to monitor this comet for more outbursts as it gets closer to the Sun and heats up!   

To observe your target:

Follow the HowTo Guide for A. The target is in the Unistellar app’s database.
In the Recording field be sure the following information is entered:

Record duration : 20min
Exposure time : 3971ms
Gain : 25db

Take at least 2 observation.

MISSION Hartley 2

In 2010, the Deep Impact (EPOXI) spacecraft visited 103P/Hartley (Hartley 2), finding a small, peanut-shaped comet. Hartley 2 is a short period comet, reaching perihelion every six and a half years. This apparition, Hartley 2 will reach perihelion on October 12, 2023, and will reach its closest approach to Earth on September 26, 2023. Hartley 2 is known for being hyperactive, meaning it releases more water than expected based on its orbit and size. Help Unistellar monitor the activity of this comet! 

To observe your target:

Follow the HowTo Guide for A. The target is in the Unistellar app’s database. In the Recording field be sure the following information is entered:

Record duration : 20min
Exposure time : 3971ms
Gain : 25db

Take at least 1 observation.

MISSION T4

Comet C/2021 T4 (Lemmon) will reach perihelion on July 31, 2023 and make its close approach to the Earth on July 21, 2023. This comet will be one of the brightest this summer, and monitoring it will allow us to predict just how bright it will be. 

To observe your target:

Follow the HowTo Guide for A. The target is in the Unistellar app’s database.
In the Recording field be sure the following information is entered:

Record duration : 20min
Exposure time : 3971ms
Gain : 25db

Take at least 1 observations.

MISSION E1

Comet C/2023 E1 (ATLAS) will reach perihelion on July 01, 2023 and make its close approach to the Earth on August 18, 2023. This comet has become brighter than expected when it was first discovered. It also displays a very green coma. Observing this comet will allow us to understand how its activity affects its current and future brightness.

To observe your target:

Follow the HowTo Guide for B. The target is NOT in the App Catalog. Use your smartphone to generate a Deep Link with our Comets Ephemeris tool. 

Take at least 1 observation.

MISSION 29P

Currently Faint – Monitor Occasionally

29P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 1 is a centaur/comet transition object. 29P has experienced many outbursts in its lifetime. By observing this object, we may be able to catch an outbursting event and better understand the mechanisms that cause these sudden increases in brightness. The comet is currently faint, even in recent outbursts, but it is important to monitor occasionally in case the comet undergoes a bright outburst!

To observe your target:

Follow the HowTo Guide for A. The target is in the Unistellar app’s database.
In the Recording field be sure the following information is entered:

Record duration : 20min
Exposure time : 3971ms
Gain : 25db

Take at least 2 observations.