Seeing comets vs asteroids from Earth<\/strong><\/h2>\nBoth asteroids and comets are occasionally visible from Earth, though without a telescope, you can typically only see bright comets, like Halley\u2019s Comet, last seen in 1986. Comets are so often visible outside our atmosphere because they have a long dust tail, formed when dust is released from the comet\u2019s core as ices turn to gas near the Sun. That dust then trails off as the comet flies through space and can stretch for millions of kilometers!\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\nHowever, pieces of both asteroids and comets can become naked-eye sights if they fall into Earth\u2019s atmosphere. The blaze of light these objects leave as they burn up is called a meteor<\/strong>, and if we find these objects on the ground later, we call them meteorites<\/strong>. Meteor showers<\/strong>, which happen regularly each year, occur when the Earth\u2019s orbit passes through a cloud of debris from a comet or asteroid (typically a comet). As we pass through that debris field, tiny pieces of it burn up in our atmosphere and leave a flurry of streaks.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=\u00a0\u00bbhttps:\/\/www.unistellar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/Unistellar_CometAtlas.jpg\u00a0\u00bb title_text=\u00a0\u00bbUnistellar_CometAtlas\u00a0\u00bb align=\u00a0\u00bbcenter\u00a0\u00bb _builder_version=\u00a0\u00bb4.19.5″ _module_preset=\u00a0\u00bbdefault\u00a0\u00bb width=\u00a0\u00bb65%\u00a0\u00bb global_colors_info=\u00a0\u00bb{}\u00a0\u00bb][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=\u00a0\u00bb4.19.5″ _module_preset=\u00a0\u00bbdefault\u00a0\u00bb text_text_color=\u00a0\u00bbRGBA(186,186,186,0.81)\u00a0\u00bb global_colors_info=\u00a0\u00bb{}\u00a0\u00bb]<\/p>\n
Crowd-sourced observations of the Comet ATLAS from Unistellar Network members in Europe on April 11, 2020. The tail makes the comet highly visible!<\/em><\/p>\n[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=\u00a0\u00bb1″ _builder_version=\u00a0\u00bb4.18.0″ _module_preset=\u00a0\u00bbdefault\u00a0\u00bb background_color=\u00a0\u00bbgcid-579abc80-458a-43b5-90b5-efa821d39207″ custom_padding=\u00a0\u00bb1px||7px|||\u00a0\u00bb global_colors_info=\u00a0\u00bb{%22gcid-579abc80-458a-43b5-90b5-efa821d39207%22:%91%22background_color%22%93}\u00a0\u00bb][et_pb_row _builder_version=\u00a0\u00bb4.19.5″ _module_preset=\u00a0\u00bbdefault\u00a0\u00bb hover_enabled=\u00a0\u00bb0″ global_colors_info=\u00a0\u00bb{}\u00a0\u00bb sticky_enabled=\u00a0\u00bb0″][et_pb_column type=\u00a0\u00bb4_4″ _builder_version=\u00a0\u00bb4.18.0″ _module_preset=\u00a0\u00bbdefault\u00a0\u00bb global_colors_info=\u00a0\u00bb{}\u00a0\u00bb][et_pb_text _builder_version=\u00a0\u00bb4.19.5″ _module_preset=\u00a0\u00bbdefault\u00a0\u00bb hover_enabled=\u00a0\u00bb0″ global_colors_info=\u00a0\u00bb{}\u00a0\u00bb sticky_enabled=\u00a0\u00bb0″]<\/p>\n
Observing comets and asteroids with Unistellar<\/strong><\/h2>\nBoth comets and asteroids are visible with a Unistellar Telescope, and we regularly update our network when one might be visible. Unistellar observers are invited to seek out these objects, and even submit their observations that help astronomers studying this \u201cspace junk.\u201d In 2022 alone, our network made 1,449 observations of nine different comets and 985 observations of 32 near-Earth asteroids! That included observing the history-making <\/span>Double Asteroid Redirection Test<\/span><\/a> (DART) mission to crash a spacecraft into an asteroid, as well as a <\/span>target of the Lucy mission.<\/span><\/a><\/p>\nProfessional and amateur astronomers study asteroids to better understand their size and orbit, which can be very important for Potentially Hazardous Asteroids that might <\/span>pose a threat to our planet<\/span><\/a>. In the case of comets, skygazers keep an eye on them to track their activity as they travel near and away from the Sun. <\/span><\/p>\n
However, pieces of both asteroids and comets can become naked-eye sights if they fall into Earth\u2019s atmosphere. The blaze of light these objects leave as they burn up is called a meteor<\/strong>, and if we find these objects on the ground later, we call them meteorites<\/strong>. Meteor showers<\/strong>, which happen regularly each year, occur when the Earth\u2019s orbit passes through a cloud of debris from a comet or asteroid (typically a comet). As we pass through that debris field, tiny pieces of it burn up in our atmosphere and leave a flurry of streaks.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=\u00a0\u00bbhttps:\/\/www.unistellar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/Unistellar_CometAtlas.jpg\u00a0\u00bb title_text=\u00a0\u00bbUnistellar_CometAtlas\u00a0\u00bb align=\u00a0\u00bbcenter\u00a0\u00bb _builder_version=\u00a0\u00bb4.19.5″ _module_preset=\u00a0\u00bbdefault\u00a0\u00bb width=\u00a0\u00bb65%\u00a0\u00bb global_colors_info=\u00a0\u00bb{}\u00a0\u00bb][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=\u00a0\u00bb4.19.5″ _module_preset=\u00a0\u00bbdefault\u00a0\u00bb text_text_color=\u00a0\u00bbRGBA(186,186,186,0.81)\u00a0\u00bb global_colors_info=\u00a0\u00bb{}\u00a0\u00bb]<\/p>\n Crowd-sourced observations of the Comet ATLAS from Unistellar Network members in Europe on April 11, 2020. The tail makes the comet highly visible!<\/em><\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section][et_pb_section fb_built=\u00a0\u00bb1″ _builder_version=\u00a0\u00bb4.18.0″ _module_preset=\u00a0\u00bbdefault\u00a0\u00bb background_color=\u00a0\u00bbgcid-579abc80-458a-43b5-90b5-efa821d39207″ custom_padding=\u00a0\u00bb1px||7px|||\u00a0\u00bb global_colors_info=\u00a0\u00bb{%22gcid-579abc80-458a-43b5-90b5-efa821d39207%22:%91%22background_color%22%93}\u00a0\u00bb][et_pb_row _builder_version=\u00a0\u00bb4.19.5″ _module_preset=\u00a0\u00bbdefault\u00a0\u00bb hover_enabled=\u00a0\u00bb0″ global_colors_info=\u00a0\u00bb{}\u00a0\u00bb sticky_enabled=\u00a0\u00bb0″][et_pb_column type=\u00a0\u00bb4_4″ _builder_version=\u00a0\u00bb4.18.0″ _module_preset=\u00a0\u00bbdefault\u00a0\u00bb global_colors_info=\u00a0\u00bb{}\u00a0\u00bb][et_pb_text _builder_version=\u00a0\u00bb4.19.5″ _module_preset=\u00a0\u00bbdefault\u00a0\u00bb hover_enabled=\u00a0\u00bb0″ global_colors_info=\u00a0\u00bb{}\u00a0\u00bb sticky_enabled=\u00a0\u00bb0″]<\/p>\n Both comets and asteroids are visible with a Unistellar Telescope, and we regularly update our network when one might be visible. Unistellar observers are invited to seek out these objects, and even submit their observations that help astronomers studying this \u201cspace junk.\u201d In 2022 alone, our network made 1,449 observations of nine different comets and 985 observations of 32 near-Earth asteroids! That included observing the history-making <\/span>Double Asteroid Redirection Test<\/span><\/a> (DART) mission to crash a spacecraft into an asteroid, as well as a <\/span>target of the Lucy mission.<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n Professional and amateur astronomers study asteroids to better understand their size and orbit, which can be very important for Potentially Hazardous Asteroids that might <\/span>pose a threat to our planet<\/span><\/a>. In the case of comets, skygazers keep an eye on them to track their activity as they travel near and away from the Sun. <\/span><\/p>\nObserving comets and asteroids with Unistellar<\/strong><\/h2>\n