The closest comet to earth. New technologies for space: “Self-healing” materials, roll-up solar panels and a nuclear engine for a Mars rocket And about personnel

NASA experts published a video of a comet flying past the Earth in March 2016. This video was compiled from radar images from the Goldstone Observatory, which were obtained from space equipment that observed the approach of comet P/2016 BA14 to our planet between March 21 and 23. Astronomers found that this celestial body approached the Earth at a distance of 3.6 to 4.1 million kilometers and rotated around its axis with a period of about 40 hours, writes Informing.

The video of a comet flying past Earth in March 2016 clearly shows that comet P/2016 BA14 has a very unusual shape, resembling a pear. Researchers were able to examine its features with an accuracy of up to 8 meters per pixel, which will allow them in the future to make a detailed analysis of this celestial body, which could lead to a tragedy on the “blue planet.”

Scientists, in the comments to the video of a comet flying past the Earth in March 2016, also said that the diameter of the celestial body was at least one kilometer. At the same time, this “space wanderer” was approaching our planet in company with comet 252P/LINEAR, which flew near the Earth at a distance of 5.2 million kilometers. Experts believe that 252P/LINEAR is a large fragment of comet P/2016 BA14 itself, which appeared in the near-Earth outer space excited the entire scientific world.

Comet P/2016 BA14, which flew past the Earth, was not the last cosmic threat to our planet this year. Experts announced that in April 2016, an asteroid the size of the main building of Moscow State University will approach the “blue planet”. Scientists believe that this huge cosmic body will fly from Earth at a distance of at least 10 million kilometers, which will minimize the threat to earthlings.

Comet P/2016 BA14 flying past Earth (video):

If you look at the sky, you can see stars, the light of which reaches the Earth for many years, moving planets - some of them brighter than the stars, such as Jupiter, meteors and fireballs. And if you arm yourself with optics, you can see asteroids and artificial satellites.

There are space objects that at one time cannot be ignored. These space wanderers are awarded with all sorts of epithets: tailed stars, flying nothing, scourge of God... We are talking about comets.

From a physical and astronomical point of view, comets are bodies with low mass but high speed. They come from deep space, have different trajectories and different orbital periods, sometimes up to two to three thousand years. Some comets are non-periodic, while others, passing near the Sun, burn up in its rays and terminate their mission.

For the Earth and its ordinary inhabitants, comets have always brought changes that a person may not immediately feel. Some comets are distinguished: they (people) are the labeled atoms of these comets - conductors. On the one hand, comets are a kind of correctors of the systems in which the virus has settled, and on the other hand, they appear as controllers: “Hello, earthlings! You are undergoing a check!”

© Sputnik / Vladimir Rodionov

An image of Halley's Comet transmitted by the Soviet space station Vega II to Earth on March 9, 1986

In the spring of 1986, Halley's periodic Comet passed closest to Earth in the constellations of Chalice and Hydra. In the moment lunar eclipse in Scorpio, the "hydra" escaped from the "chalice" and the Chernobyl accident occurred. Some might say coincidence... Perhaps.

The technology improved, astronomers began to register a lot of low-brightness comets. In 1994, an extraordinary event occurred - open year Earlier, by the Shoemaker spouses and astronomer Levy, the comet broke up into 22 fragments and crashed into Jupiter in July from the 16th to the 23rd. So what, the skeptic will say. For ordinary earthly life - nothing, but for some people and countries significant events occurred. The projection point of Jupiter onto the ecliptic points to the year 2016. Symbolically, 22 fragments also accentuate it: 1994+22=2016.

After the Shoemaker-Levy Comet, “checks” on Earth became more frequent—comet time had arrived. In 1996, we saw the amazing comet Hale Bopp, then we were visited by Hiya-Kutaki in the form of a crown, then camet McNaught, then comet Holmes unexpectedly flared up, then we were visited by comets Love Joy, Nevsky Novichenok and many others. Each comet had its own mystery, which was determined by its path across the sky and many other factors.

© AP/Alastair Grant

2016 is the final year not only of the Comet Shoemaker-Levy cycle, but also of the Deccanic 36-year cycle. The beginning of the year was marked by the conjunction of the small comet Catalina with the bright star Arcturus. Alpha Bootes is directly connected with the Slavic peoples, because one of the translations of its name is “Bear Driver”. On New Year's Eve, certain events in Europe revealed ulcers that need to be treated.

In mid-January, a comet is discovered that will fly past no more than nine distances from the Moon, this will be a few days after the spring equinox.

Summarizing the above, we can say that 2016 will be a milestone year: all the flaws of the past will appear, the sky will correct human mistakes. It is important to understand the signs of the cosmos!

Try to find Comet C/2013 US10 (Catalina) a few hours after Christmas. In the early morning of January 7, 2016, you will find a comet passing near the bright star Arcturus in the constellation Bootes. It will not be visible to the naked eye, but binoculars or a small telescope will be able to discern it as a small, fuzzy spot of light in the predawn sky. If you received a telescope or binoculars at New Year, this comet will be a fantastic target. Start the New Year off right and share the sight of this comet with your friends or family! Current brightness estimates place Comet Catalina at magnitude 6.2 to 6.4, just below naked-eye viewing levels. Pay attention to the image above and you will see how easy it will be to find Comet Catalina in early 2016.

When and where can you see Comet Catalina?

The comet has been in our pre-dawn skies for the past month. Its brightness was quite stable. As the New Year begins, it will gradually become an object in the night sky.

The comet was closer to the Sun until November 15, and is currently moving away from the Sun. But it is still getting closer to Earth. On January 17, 2016, Comet Catalina will be at its closest point to Earth at a distance of 68 million miles (110 million km). Compare that to the Moon's distance of about a quarter of a million miles... and you'll see that the comet doesn't pass near us. However, when it comes closest to Earth in mid-January, we may see the comet a little brighter than it is now.

According to all available data, Comet Catalina will never rise in brightness above magnitude 6, the limit of visibility with the naked eye.

Remember... the comet moves slowly across the sky. Below you will find several diagrams that should help you find it. Or check out this diagram from skyandtelescope.com.

What does Comet Catalina look like?

The comet's tail is about 500,000 miles (800,000 km) long! And it turned out to be double. Some photographs were able to capture even more detail. With binoculars, you'll likely spot the comet as a small, hazy smudge. You can most often see the short tail of this comet. Chances are you won't see any color at all.

Sarah Schiefer of Austin, Texas, who took the photo above, wrote: "I've been trying to capture Comet Catalina on camera for weeks without much luck. My camera doesn't have a tracker, so it was hard to spot the comet. I finally got lucky on this one." morning!".

A telescope will provide the best view. Even when observed with a telescope, you will not see the green color of the comet as shown in some photographs. The cameras are more sensitive than the human eye, and after a few seconds or minutes of exposure, they provide a very good view of the color of the comet.

But visual observations using telescopes in December 2015 could provide a hint of the green color of Comet Catalina's coma or its atmosphere.

And by the way, the green color we see in comets comes from gases such as diatomic carbon.

Essential Data

• October 31, 2013. The Catalina Sky Survey in Arizona discovered the comet, later named C/2013 US10 (Catalina). At first, astronomers thought it was a rocky or metallic asteroid, but further observations determined it was an icy comet.
• On November 15, 2015, Comet Catalina was at perihelion, or closest to the Sun. It does not approach the Sun as close as some comets do. During its closest approach to our star, the comet moved between the orbits of the planets Earth and Venus. Its perihelion distance was 0.82 AU. from the Sun (1 AU = 1 distance from the Earth to the Sun). Comet Catalina was traveling at 103,000 mph (166,000 km/h) relative to the sun at perihelion.
• From November 23 to November 30, 2015. Comet Catalina has become open to observers in the Northern Hemisphere.
• December 7, 2015. Heavenly show! Comet Catalina was visible next to Venus and the waning moon.
• December 31, 2015. The comet approaches the apparent position of Arcturus in the sky. Another good photo opportunity.
• January 1, 2016. Comet Catalina will pass very close to the star Arcturus. An excellent reference point when searching for a comet in the sky!
• January 17, 2016. Comet Catalina will pass 68 million miles (110 million km) from Earth. This is very, very far from Earth - hundreds of times further than the distance to the Moon. Thus, there is no danger of collision. That said, let's talk about the size of the comet's nucleus. Some estimates indicate that Comet Catalina's nucleus ranges between 4 and 20 kilometers in diameter.

Which comet will be next visible to the naked eye?

The next comet predicted to be visible to the naked eye - and actually easy to spot - is Comet 46P/Wirtanen. She will appear as a heavenly gift on Christmas 2018.

Although Comet 46P may reach magnitude 3 or 4, there is always the possibility that a newly discovered comet will provide a good celestial show before then.

A pair of comets with very similar orbits are approaching Earth. While both maintain a safe distance between themselves, one of them has a record-breaking close flyby.

A pair of comets with very close orbits are approaching Earth and astronomers are preparing to use radio telescopes to capture radar images, while advanced amateurs can capture images of each of the comet twins. It is already known that comet 252P/LINEAR 12 will pass by Earth on March 21, 2016 at a distance of 3,290,000 miles (5.3 million kilometers). This is approximately 14 times the distance from the Earth to the Moon and, in itself, does not set any records.

Astronomers Mattie Knight, Michael S.P. Kelly and Sylvia Protopapa discovered the tail on 2016 BA14 using the Discovery Channel Telescope at Lowell Observatory. Did Comet 252P split into two? We will find out about this soon.

Comet P/2016 BA14 (Pan-STARRS) will safely pass Earth on March 22, 2016, coming closer than Comet 252P. Comet P/2016 BA14's flyby will be at a distance of 2,199,933 miles (3.5 million kilometers), or about 9 lunar distances, which is very close for a comet. In fact, Comet P/2016 BA14 will set the record as the third comet to come close to our planet in the history of such events.

Astronomers saw many more nearby asteroids at a closer distance, but... comets are a different matter. No, there is no danger to our planet, because 9 lunar distances are a very safe distance.

Which comet came closest to Earth than any other comet in the entire history of mankind?

First place goes to comet D/1770 L1 (Lexell). It passed at just 5.9 lunar distances in July 1770. This is approximately 1,410,100 miles (2.3 million km). So close that Charles Messier noted that the comet's coma looked roughly the size of four visible moons.

According to astronomers' calculations, comet 55P/1366 U1 (Temple-Tuttle) passed by the Earth in October 1366 at 8.9 lunar distances.

In May 1983, Comet C/1983 H1 (IRAS-Araki-Alcock) passed at 12.2 lunar distances. So Comet IRAS, currently in third position, will soon retire to become the fourth closest comet discovered this year (P/2016 BA14).

Since Comet IRAS passed at 12.2 lunar distances, the upcoming flight of P/2016 BA14 will be the closest comet in 246 years!

Will it be noticeable?

Comets will appear bright as they begin to pass close to the Sun and react to the sun's heat. Although Comet P/2016 BA14 will pass relatively close to our planet, its close distance to the Sun will make it very dim. So it cannot be seen with the naked eye. Additionally, P/2016 BA14 is a small comet, with a core measuring 1411-1788 feet (430-545 meters) in diameter. If there is no difference in brightness, scientists estimate that Comet P/2016 BA14 should have a magnitude of 12 or 13. Vel., which means that it can only be captured by large telescopes. The good news is that we will catch beautiful view using a well-known orbiting telescope. Astronomer Michael Kelly of the University of Maryland said, "We gave six Hubble orbiters time to capture some high-resolution images during the close pass."

The comet's relative proximity to our planet will mean that images from advanced amateurs and observatories will clearly show the celestial visitor moving through space at 31.345 mph (50,445 km/h).

Both comets will also be studied using radio telescopes. From March 20 to 23, astronomers will send radio signals to comet P/2016 BA14 using NASA's Goldstone radar in California. These signals will bounce off the comet's nucleus and travel to the Green Bank radar in West Virginia.

The Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico has the best "radar view" of comet 252P/LINEAR, and will receive radar images of the celestial visitor April 10-18.

Will “twin comets” produce meteors?

Most likely no. But some astronomers believe there is a small chance of seeing a few meteors associated with comet P/2016 BA14 on March 20, 2016. At the same time, its twin 252P/LINEAR will produce several meteors on March 28-30.

Here you go short review comets that were accessible to small amateur instruments in 2016. It includes all comets brighter than twelfth magnitude that were observed in the past year. Let's start with the pivot table -

The table shows: Designation, Tperig.- the moment the comet passes perihelion, q, a.e- perihelion distance in astronomical units, Delta, a.e.- maximum approach of the comet to the Earth in AU, M max- maximum brightness in this appearance and Observation period worldwide in month.year format.
Notes: * - the comet approached minimum distance to Earth in 2017.
And now some details:
- Comet C/2013 X1 (PANSTARRS) was observed worldwide from October 2013 to July 2017. Of the entire three-year period of observations with small instruments, we had access to the period from November 2015 to early March 2016, when the comet was observed throughout the night and then in the evenings. The maximum brightness of comet C/2013 X1 (PANSTARRS) was 6.4 magnitude at the end of December. She moved through the constellations of Perseus, Andromeda, Pisces, Andromeda again, Pegasus and Pisces again. The comet was a fairly condensed object DC=6-7.
I have data for C/2013 X1 (PANSTARRS) here - .
- Comet 252P/LINEAR was observed worldwide from September 2015 to July 2016. The comet passed its perihelion point in mid-March at a distance of about one astronomical unit (q=0.996 AU). This is the third observed appearance of this comet since its discovery in 2000. The comet is a short-period comet with an orbital period of 5.3 years. The comet reached its maximum brightness - 4.0 magnitude - on the twentieth of March, immediately after perihelion. At this time, it approached the Earth at a minimum distance of 0.036 AU. or 5 million 386 thousand kilometers. 252P/LINEAR looked like a rather diffuse object - the maximum degree of condensation was DC=3. In our latitudes, it could be observed after the peak of brightness - from the very end of March until the end of June, when its brightness dropped to twelfth magnitude. At this time, she moved through the constellations Scorpio, Ophiuchus, Serpens, Ophiuchus, Hercules, and then Ophiuchus again. It was visible first in the mornings, then from the beginning of April in the second half of the night, and then throughout the dark time of the day.
I have all the information on this comet under the tag - .
- Another short-period comet that visited us in 2016 is comet 81P/Vilda 2. This appearance of the comet cannot be called outstanding - at its maximum brightness in the first half of July it reached only the eleventh magnitude. The comet was observed in its seventh appearance since its discovery in 1978. The orbital period of 81P/Vilda 2 is about 6 years. It passed the perihelion point in 2016 on July 20 at a distance of 1.59 AU from the Sun. In our small instruments, the comet could be observed from May to the first half of July. She moved through the constellation Gemini, Cancer and Leo.

81P/Vilda 2 reached its minimum distance to Earth on January 8 - 1.475 AU. We were visible first in the first half of the night, and then in the evenings before sunset.
Information on the comet is on my blog - .
- Famous short-period comet 9P/Tempelya 1 returned to the Sun in 2016 for its 13th observed appearance since Tempel's discovery in Marseille in 1867. Also, 13 appearances of this comet were missed (from 1879 to 1961). The perihelion point of 9P/Tempel 1 passed on August 2, 2016 at a distance of 1.5 AU. from the sun. In this worldwide appearance, the comet was observed from December 2014 to November 2017, and reached its maximum brightness around eleventh magnitude in July 2016. In our country it could be observed at this time in the evenings after sunset, low above the horizon in the constellation Virgo. The comet was a weakly condensed object—the degree of condensation did not exceed 4.
I have data on this comet in my feed - .
- Another short-period comet - 333P/LINEAR observed in its second appearance after its discovery in 2007. The orbital period of this comet around the Sun is 8.7 years. 333P/LINEAR has a high orbital inclination of 131.9 degrees. The comet passed the perihelion point in this appearance on April 3 at a distance of 1.1 AU. from the sun. It reached its maximum magnitude of 11.5 magnitude at the end of March. In our small devices a comet could be
observe from late February to early March in the first half of the night. 333P/LINEAR was moving at this time in the constellation Taurus.
- The next comet of our review C/2015 WZ (PANSTARRS) It reached its maximum brightness at the end of May - beginning of June - about 10.5 magnitude. The comet passed its perihelion point on April 15 at a distance of 1.38 AU. from the sun. Our observation period with small instruments was short - May-June. The comet was observed throughout the night, high above the horizon in the southern sky. It approached the minimum distance to Earth on June 22 - 1.1 AU. All the time, the comet was a low-condensation object for visual observers - DC did not exceed 3. C/2015 WZ (PANSTARRS) moved through the constellations Pegasus, Lizard, Cygnus, Draco and Hercules.
- Comet 43P/Wolf-Harrington was observed in its twelfth appearance since its discovery in 1924. Three appearances of the comet (1932, 1939 and 1945) were missed. The orbital period of 43P/Wolf-Harrington is 6.1 years, the orbital inclination is low for comets - 16 degrees. In its current appearance, the comet passed perihelion on August 19 and reached magnitude 11.5 at its maximum in late August–September. The comet was visible in the morning low in the eastern sky in the constellation Cancer.
- Comet C/2016 A8 (LINEAR) also reached its maximum brightness at the end of August 2016. True, at the peak of its brilliance, the comet was barely visible to small amateur instruments - magnitude 11.9. It also passed the perihelion point at the end of August - on the 30th at a distance of 1.89 AU. from the sun. The comet was observed throughout the night in the southern sky high above the horizon. Moved through the constellations Cygnus and Chanterelle.
- The next comet of our review is comet 144P/Kushida was discovered by Yoshio Kushida on January 8, 1994. It turned out to be periodic with a period of 7.6 years and was observed in its fourth appearance in 2016. The comet passed its perihelion point on August 31 at a distance of 1.4 astronomical units from the Sun. The orbital inclination of 144P/Kushida is very small for a comet - 4 degrees. The comet reached its maximum brightness (somewhere around 11.5 magnitude) in the fall - in early September. It could be found in the mornings before sunrise, low above the horizon in the constellation Cancer, and then Leo. The degree of condensation of the comet was low - DC = 3.
- Another short-period comet - comet 237P/LINEAR in 2016, its brilliance exceeded the twelfth magnitude limit. The comet was observed in its third appearance since its discovery in 2002 and passed perihelion on October 11 at a distance of 1.98 AU. (this is even beyond the orbit of Mars) from the Sun. It also passed from the Earth at a fairly large distance of 1.395 AU. in the beginning of May. It could be observed with small instruments in September-October, when the comet was visible in the evenings immediately after sunset, very low above the horizon. The comet moved through the constellations Libra, Scorpio and Ophiuchus.
- The last comet of our review - P/2003 T12 (SOHO) in this appearance was observed on cameras of the STEREO spacecraft.