Guides / Star Charts

Contributions

If you like the website and want to contribute to the running costs then please do so below. All contributions are most welcome.

PayPal - The safer, easier way to pay online.

Comet Lovejoy (C/2014 Q2) remains within binocular and small scope range

Comet Lovejoy continues on its northern path during April as heads towards Polaris and the North Celestial Pole. This superb comet has put on an excellent performance so far. At peak it was far brighter that originally expected and bright enough to be seen with the naked eye. Through binoculars and telescopes it was a stunning sight. The good news is that although Lovejoy has now faded and not as impressive as previous, it remains within the range of binoculars and small scopes.

Comet C/2014 Q2 Lovejoy on February 21, 2015 (Damian Peach - www.damianpeach.com)

Location and star chart

Lovejoy spends all of April in Cassiopeia. At the start of the month it's positioned just north of the famous "W" asterism of the constellations brightest stars. It then continues to move northwards through the barren patch of sky towards Cepheus. During this time, there are many nearby fainter stars that can be easily seen in binoculars for star hopping purposes.

Lovejoy is expected to fade from +6.5 to +8.2 during April. It's circumpolar from almost all the Northern Hemisphere but can't be seen from southern temperate latitudes. Comets are unpredictable so keep watching as you never know what might happen!

The finder charts below show the positions of the comet from February 12th to May 3rd, 2015.

Comet Lovejoy (C/2014 Q2) Finder Chart from March 12th to May 3rd, 2015

Comet Lovejoy (C/2014 Q2) Finder Chart from March 12th to May 3rd, 2015 - pdf format

Comet Lovejoy (C/2014 Q2) Finder Chart from February 12th to April 1st, 2015

Comet Lovejoy (C/2014 Q2) Finder Chart from February 12th to April 1st, 2015 - pdf format

C/2014 Q2 (Lovejoy) Data (at epoch December 9, 2014)

NameC/2014 Q2 (Lovejoy)
TypeComet
DiscovererTerry Lovejoy
Discovery dateAugust 17, 2014
Perihelion (AU)1.29077
Eccentricity0.99809
Orbital period (years)~8000
Inclination (degrees) 80.3021
Longitude of ascending node (degrees)94.9937
Perihelion January 30th, 2015

Comet (C2014/Q2) Lovejoy Data Table

DateRight AscensionDeclinationMag.Distance from Earth (AU)Constellation
01-Apr-201501h 23m 31s65d 40m 15s6.51.777Cassiopeia
02-Apr-201501h 23m 36s66d 01m 12s6.61.789Cassiopeia
03-Apr-201501h 23m 41s66d 22m 15s6.61.801Cassiopeia
04-Apr-201501h 23m 47s66d 43m 22s6.71.813Cassiopeia
05-Apr-201501h 23m 54s67d 04m 34s6.71.825Cassiopeia
06-Apr-201501h 24m 02s67d 25m 52s6.81.837Cassiopeia
07-Apr-201501h 24m 10s67d 47m 16s6.91.849Cassiopeia
08-Apr-201501h 24m 19s68d 08m 45s6.91.860Cassiopeia
09-Apr-201501h 24m 28s68d 30m 20s7.01.871Cassiopeia
10-Apr-201501h 24m 38s68d 52m 02s7.01.882Cassiopeia
11-Apr-201501h 24m 49s69d 13m 51s7.11.893Cassiopeia
12-Apr-201501h 24m 60s69d 35m 46s7.21.904Cassiopeia
13-Apr-201501h 25m 11s69d 57m 49s7.21.915Cassiopeia
14-Apr-201501h 25m 23s70d 19m 58s7.31.925Cassiopeia
15-Apr-201501h 25m 35s70d 42m 15s7.31.935Cassiopeia
16-Apr-201501h 25m 47s71d 04m 40s7.41.946Cassiopeia
17-Apr-201501h 25m 59s71d 27m 13s7.51.956Cassiopeia
18-Apr-201501h 26m 12s71d 49m 54s7.51.965Cassiopeia
19-Apr-201501h 26m 24s72d 12m 43s7.61.975Cassiopeia
20-Apr-201501h 26m 37s72d 35m 40s7.61.985Cassiopeia
21-Apr-201501h 26m 49s72d 58m 45s7.71.994Cassiopeia
22-Apr-201501h 27m 01s73d 21m 59s7.72.004Cassiopeia
23-Apr-201501h 27m 13s73d 45m 21s7.82.013Cassiopeia
24-Apr-201501h 27m 24s74d 08m 52s7.92.022Cassiopeia
25-Apr-201501h 27m 35s74d 32m 32s7.92.031Cassiopeia
26-Apr-201501h 27m 45s74d 56m 20s8.02.040Cassiopeia
27-Apr-201501h 27m 54s75d 20m 17s8.02.048Cassiopeia
28-Apr-201501h 28m 03s75d 44m 22s8.12.057Cassiopeia
29-Apr-201501h 28m 10s76d 08m 37s8.12.066Cassiopeia
30-Apr-201501h 28m 16s76d 32m 59s8.22.074Cassiopeia
01-May-201501h 28m 21s76d 57m 31s8.22.082Cassiopeia
02-May-201501h 28m 24s77d 22m 12s8.32.090Cassiopeia
03-May-201501h 28m 25s77d 47m 01s8.32.098Cepheus
04-May-201501h 28m 23s78d 11m 59s8.42.106Cepheus
05-May-201501h 28m 20s78d 37m 06s8.52.114Cepheus
06-May-201501h 28m 13s79d 02m 22s8.52.122Cepheus
07-May-201501h 28m 03s79d 27m 46s8.62.130Cepheus
08-May-201501h 27m 49s79d 53m 19s8.62.137Cepheus
09-May-201501h 27m 31s80d 19m 01s8.72.145Cepheus
10-May-201501h 27m 07s80d 44m 51s8.72.152Cepheus
11-May-201501h 26m 37s81d 10m 50s8.82.160Cepheus
12-May-201501h 26m 00s81d 36m 57s8.82.167Cepheus
13-May-201501h 25m 15s82d 03m 12s8.92.174Cepheus
14-May-201501h 24m 19s82d 29m 35s8.92.182Cepheus
15-May-201501h 23m 10s82d 56m 06s9.02.189Cepheus
16-May-201501h 21m 47s83d 22m 45s9.02.196Cepheus
17-May-201501h 20m 04s83d 49m 30s9.12.203Cepheus
18-May-201501h 17m 59s84d 16m 21s9.12.210Cepheus
19-May-201501h 15m 23s84d 43m 18s9.22.217Cepheus
20-May-201501h 12m 10s85d 10m 18s9.22.224Cepheus
21-May-201501h 08m 06s85d 37m 22s9.32.230Cepheus
22-May-201501h 02m 55s86d 04m 25s9.32.237Cepheus
23-May-201500h 56m 08s86d 31m 24s9.42.244Cepheus
24-May-201500h 47m 05s86d 58m 14s9.42.251Cepheus
25-May-201500h 34m 35s87d 24m 44s9.52.258Cepheus
26-May-201500h 16m 37s87d 50m 38s9.52.264Cepheus
27-May-201523h 49m 23s88d 15m 21s9.62.271Cepheus
28-May-201523h 05m 47s88d 37m 41s9.62.278Cepheus
29-May-201521h 54m 07s88d 54m 55s9.72.284Ursa Minor
30-May-201520h 09m 28s89d 02m 06s9.72.291Ursa Minor
31-May-201518h 23m 05s88d 55m 36s9.82.298Ursa Minor
01-Jun-201517h 08m 51s88d 38m 30s9.82.304Ursa Minor
02-Jun-201516h 23m 37s88d 15m 48s9.92.311Ursa Minor
03-Jun-201515h 55m 30s87d 50m 19s9.92.318Ursa Minor
04-Jun-201515h 37m 02s87d 23m 21s10.02.324Ursa Minor
05-Jun-201515h 24m 16s86d 55m 30s10.02.331Ursa Minor
06-Jun-201515h 15m 04s86d 27m 03s10.12.338Ursa Minor
07-Jun-201515h 08m 13s85d 58m 11s10.12.345Ursa Minor
08-Jun-201515h 02m 60s85d 29m 00s10.22.351Ursa Minor
09-Jun-201514h 58m 57s84d 59m 34s10.22.358Ursa Minor
10-Jun-201514h 55m 47s84d 29m 55s10.32.365Ursa Minor
11-Jun-201514h 53m 16s84d 00m 05s10.32.372Ursa Minor
12-Jun-201514h 51m 15s83d 30m 06s10.42.379Ursa Minor
13-Jun-201514h 49m 40s82d 59m 58s10.42.386Ursa Minor
14-Jun-201514h 48m 24s82d 29m 42s10.42.393Ursa Minor
15-Jun-201514h 47m 25s81d 59m 19s10.52.400Ursa Minor
16-Jun-201514h 46m 39s81d 28m 50s10.52.407Ursa Minor
17-Jun-201514h 46m 04s80d 58m 14s10.62.414Ursa Minor
18-Jun-201514h 45m 39s80d 27m 34s10.62.422Ursa Minor
19-Jun-201514h 45m 22s79d 56m 48s10.72.429Ursa Minor
20-Jun-201514h 45m 12s79d 25m 58s10.72.436Ursa Minor
21-Jun-201514h 45m 08s78d 55m 03s10.82.444Ursa Minor
22-Jun-201514h 45m 10s78d 24m 05s10.82.451Ursa Minor
23-Jun-201514h 45m 17s77d 53m 03s10.92.459Ursa Minor
24-Jun-201514h 45m 27s77d 21m 58s10.92.467Ursa Minor
25-Jun-201514h 45m 42s76d 50m 50s11.02.474Ursa Minor
26-Jun-201514h 45m 59s76d 19m 40s11.02.482Ursa Minor
27-Jun-201514h 46m 20s75d 48m 28s11.02.490Ursa Minor
28-Jun-201514h 46m 44s75d 17m 15s11.12.498Ursa Minor
29-Jun-201514h 47m 09s74d 45m 59s11.12.506Ursa Minor
30-Jun-201514h 47m 38s74d 14m 43s11.22.515Ursa Minor
01-Jul-201514h 48m 08s73d 43m 26s11.22.523Ursa Minor

See also

Comet Lovejoy (C/2014 Q2) remains a small telescope object during May, passes close by Polaris
Comet Lovejoy (C/2014 Q2) heads north during March, remains a binocular and small telescope object
Comet Lovejoy (C/2014 Q2) remains visible with binoculars and small telescopes during February 2015
How to see Comet Lovejoy (C/2014 Q2) during January 2015
Comet Lovejoy (C/2014 Q2) a naked eye comet for the New Year
Comet Lovejoy (C/2014 Q2) now visible with binoculars from Southern latitudes