Astronomy is one of the few sciences left where rank amateurs can still make notable contributions that are normally the domain of the pros elsewhere. Proving this point is Fred Bruenjes, who just recently discovered a comet from his backyard observatory. The best part for the rest of the world: Comet Bruenjes is visible (sort of) to anyone living in the Northern Hemisphere.
The reason for the “sort of” in regards to the comet: it's 16th magnitude, far too dim to be seen optically in anything else but professional observatory-class telescopes. However, for anyone owning a deep sky imaging setup, the comet is well within reach of the camera's sensor.
So, how to find the comet?
For anyone wanting to photograph Comet Bruenjes, it's currently located in the Zodiac constellation of Aries the ram, about 6 degrees away from Jupiter which, as the fourth brightest object in the sky, is truly impossible to miss. To track down the comet, detailed orbital data can be found here.
Lastly, the weather is something to be considered. Astronomy always a weather-allowing pursuit, be sure to keep an eye on the Cleveland weather forecast and, for hour-by-hour cloud predictions, the Cleveland Clear Sky Clock. The bad news, at least in the Cleveland area, things are looking lousy in the coming days. Speaking of comets, should it clear, be sure to catch Comet Garradd, too. Live somewhere else? Find a clock and see if it will be clear near you.
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