Comet-Wirtanen-
as seen through telescope on 11-4-2018
photo
credit Martin Mobberley
46P /
Wirtanen is a small short-period comet with a current orbital period of 5.4
years. It was the original target for close investigation by the Rosetta
spacecraft, planned by the European Space Agency, but an inability to meet the
launch window led to Rosetta being sent to 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko instead.It
belongs to the Jupiter family of comets, all of which have aphelia between 5
and 6 AU. Its diameter is estimated at 1.2 kilometres (0.75 mi)
Comet
Wirtanen is expected to be one of the very few coments that would be visible to
the naked eye for sometime.
The Comet will be visible throughout the nights from November to December with naked eye visibility in Mid parts of December.
The comet would reach the closest point to earth
on the 16th of December 2018 and will be visible there on till Jan 2019. This will be a good opportunity to view a Comet as there will be no identified naked eye visible Comet for sometime. The Comet will be visible throughout the nights from November to December with naked eye visibility in Mid parts of December.
Watch this space for general information and subscribe to the skyabove SMS alert if you are a Sri Lankan to get more accurate details.
