Want to see a flying green Lemmon? Well, this month, you could just very well do just that as Comet Lemmon, discovered just last year, will be coming to the Northern sky. Oh, as for the part about a green Lemmon? Well, that all has to do with its color as the comet is a dazzling shade of green.
So, what will there be to see?
For starters, for anyone who missed Comet PANSTARRS, Lemmon will not be anywhere near as bright, with current estimates placing it at about magnitude +4. As the month goes on, optimistic estimates place Comet Lemmon peaking at around +3 in brightness, or about as bright as the stars in the Northern Cross. So, that out of the way, where will the comet be located?
Right now, the comet is located in the dim constellation of Cetus, which means that, to see it, one must look low in the predawn Southeastern sky. As the month progresses, the comet will rise in altitude, crossing into the Zodiac constellation of Pisces on April 13. Additionally, Lemmon will be near the waning crescent Moon on April 7 and 8 as well as near Mercury on April 15-17. both celestial bodies will make the comet, which will appear as a dim, fuzzy star in binoculars much, much easier. The comet will remain in Pisces for the rest of the month before moving into Andromeda come mid May, at which point it is forecast to dip to magnitude +6, out of naked eye (under very dark sky) visibility. As of now, peak brightness is forecast for late April.
In the the end, thought, the only way we'll be able to know what Comet Lemmon will do is to wait and watch, all the more reason to keep an eye on the sky for the month of April. .
As the last part of the puzzle, be sure to keep an eye on the Cleveland weather forecast and, for hour-by-hour cloud predictions, the Cleveland Clear Sky Clock if you plan to head out and look at the stars this coming week. Live somewhere else? Find a clock and see if it will be clear near you.
For more info:
Universe Today
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