Although now fading as it heads away from Earth on its long journey towards the outer reaches of the Solar System, comet Lemmon (C/2012 F6) remains well placed in the early morning June sky for northern hemisphere and tropics based observers. Despite no longer visible to the naked eye and a somewhat challenging binocular object, Lemmon is easier to spot with small / medium sized telescopes, where it appears fairly high towards the east before sunrise.
For southern hemisphere observers, Lemmon is not well placed. It's positioned low down in the northern sky during early morning at the start of June, before eventually succumbing to the bright twilight glare around the middle of the month.
Lemmon starts June in central Andromeda, located just a few degrees northeast of the "Square of Pegasus". It's estimated to be at magnitude 8.4 on the first and therefore just about visible with binoculars and within the range of small telescopes. With a 80mm (3.1-inch) scope you should be able to spot the comet relatively easily. It's predicted to fade by a magnitude or so during the month, becoming increasingly more difficult for small telescope owners but still relatively easy for those with medium size scopes (150mm to 200mm - 6 to 8 inches).
The chart below shows the path of Lemmon against the background stars from May 26 to June 19, 2013. From June 5th to June 8th the comet passes through the middle of a triangle of 5th magnitude stars, θ And (mag. 4.6), ρ And (mag. 5.2) and σ And (mag. 4.5). Another good opportunity to spot Lemmon is between June 9th and 14th, when it passes only 5 degrees west of M31 The Andromeda Galaxy.
Comet Lemmon finally leaves Andromeda on June 21st, crossing the border into Cassiopeia where it remains for the rest of the month.
Finder Chart for Comet Lemmon from May 26 to June 19, 2013 - pdf format
Comet Lemmon
Name | C/2012 L6 (Lemmon) |
---|---|
Discovered By | A. R. Gibbs (Mount Lemmon Survey) |
Discovery Date | March 23, 2012 |
Discovery Magnitude | 20.7 |
Epoch | September 30, 2012 |
Aphelion (AU) | ~1,000 |
Perihelion (AU) | 0.7313 |
Eccentricity | 0.9985 |
Orbital Period (years) | ~11,000 |
Inclination (degrees) | 82.61 |
Next perihelion | March 24, 2013 |
Comet Lemmon (C/2012 F6) Data Table (data shown at 0:00 UT)
Date | Right Ascension | Declination | Mag. | Distance from Earth (AU) | Constellation |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
28 May 2013 | 00h 20m 57s | 30d 16m 52s | 8.2 | 1.741 | Andromeda |
29 May 2013 | 00h 20m 54s | 31d 03m 52s | 8.3 | 1.742 | Andromeda |
30 May 2013 | 00h 20m 50s | 31d 50m 46s | 8.3 | 1.743 | Andromeda |
31 May 2013 | 00h 20m 45s | 32d 37m 34s | 8.3 | 1.745 | Andromeda |
01 Jun 2013 | 00h 20m 38s | 33d 24m 15s | 8.4 | 1.746 | Andromeda |
02 Jun 2013 | 00h 20m 30s | 34d 10m 49s | 8.4 | 1.748 | Andromeda |
03 Jun 2013 | 00h 20m 20s | 34d 57m 17s | 8.4 | 1.749 | Andromeda |
04 Jun 2013 | 00h 20m 08s | 35d 43m 37s | 8.5 | 1.751 | Andromeda |
05 Jun 2013 | 00h 19m 54s | 36d 29m 50s | 8.5 | 1.753 | Andromeda |
06 Jun 2013 | 00h 19m 38s | 37d 15m 54s | 8.5 | 1.755 | Andromeda |
07 Jun 2013 | 00h 19m 20s | 38d 01m 51s | 8.6 | 1.756 | Andromeda |
08 Jun 2013 | 00h 19m 00s | 38d 47m 38s | 8.6 | 1.758 | Andromeda |
09 Jun 2013 | 00h 18m 38s | 39d 33m 17s | 8.6 | 1.760 | Andromeda |
10 Jun 2013 | 00h 18m 14s | 40d 18m 46s | 8.7 | 1.762 | Andromeda |
11 Jun 2013 | 00h 17m 47s | 41d 04m 04s | 8.7 | 1.765 | Andromeda |
12 Jun 2013 | 00h 17m 17s | 41d 49m 12s | 8.7 | 1.767 | Andromeda |
13 Jun 2013 | 00h 16m 45s | 42d 34m 09s | 8.8 | 1.769 | Andromeda |
14 Jun 2013 | 00h 16m 10s | 43d 18m 54s | 8.8 | 1.772 | Andromeda |
15 Jun 2013 | 00h 15m 32s | 44d 03m 27s | 8.8 | 1.774 | Andromeda |
16 Jun 2013 | 00h 14m 51s | 44d 47m 46s | 8.9 | 1.777 | Andromeda |
17 Jun 2013 | 00h 14m 07s | 45d 31m 52s | 8.9 | 1.779 | Andromeda |
18 Jun 2013 | 00h 13m 20s | 46d 15m 44s | 8.9 | 1.782 | Andromeda |
19 Jun 2013 | 00h 12m 29s | 46d 59m 21s | 9.0 | 1.785 | Andromeda |
20 Jun 2013 | 00h 11m 35s | 47d 42m 41s | 9.0 | 1.788 | Andromeda |
21 Jun 2013 | 00h 10m 36s | 48d 25m 45s | 9.0 | 1.791 | Andromeda |
22 Jun 2013 | 00h 09m 34s | 49d 08m 32s | 9.1 | 1.795 | Cassiopeia |
23 Jun 2013 | 00h 08m 28s | 49d 51m 01s | 9.1 | 1.798 | Cassiopeia |
24 Jun 2013 | 00h 07m 18s | 50d 33m 11s | 9.1 | 1.802 | Cassiopeia |
25 Jun 2013 | 00h 06m 03s | 51d 15m 00s | 9.2 | 1.805 | Cassiopeia |
26 Jun 2013 | 00h 04m 44s | 51d 56m 29s | 9.2 | 1.809 | Cassiopeia |
27 Jun 2013 | 00h 03m 20s | 52d 37m 36s | 9.2 | 1.813 | Cassiopeia |
28 Jun 2013 | 00h 01m 50s | 53d 18m 21s | 9.3 | 1.817 | Cassiopeia |
29 Jun 2013 | 00h 00m 16s | 53d 58m 41s | 9.3 | 1.821 | Cassiopeia |
30 Jun 2013 | 23h 58m 36s | 54d 38m 36s | 9.3 | 1.826 | Cassiopeia |
01 Jul 2013 | 23h 56m 51s | 55d 18m 05s | 9.4 | 1.830 | Cassiopeia |
02 Jul 2013 | 23h 54m 59s | 55d 57m 07s | 9.4 | 1.835 | Cassiopeia |
03 Jul 2013 | 23h 53m 02s | 56d 35m 40s | 9.4 | 1.840 | Cassiopeia |
04 Jul 2013 | 23h 50m 57s | 57d 13m 42s | 9.5 | 1.844 | Cassiopeia |
05 Jul 2013 | 23h 48m 47s | 57d 51m 13s | 9.5 | 1.850 | Cassiopeia |
06 Jul 2013 | 23h 46m 29s | 58d 28m 11s | 9.5 | 1.855 | Cassiopeia |
07 Jul 2013 | 23h 44m 04s | 59d 04m 35s | 9.6 | 1.860 | Cassiopeia |
08 Jul 2013 | 23h 41m 32s | 59d 40m 22s | 9.6 | 1.866 | Cassiopeia |
09 Jul 2013 | 23h 38m 52s | 60d 15m 32s | 9.6 | 1.871 | Cassiopeia |
10 Jul 2013 | 23h 36m 04s | 60d 50m 03s | 9.7 | 1.877 | Cassiopeia |
11 Jul 2013 | 23h 33m 08s | 61d 23m 52s | 9.7 | 1.883 | Cassiopeia |
12 Jul 2013 | 23h 30m 04s | 61d 56m 58s | 9.7 | 1.889 | Cassiopeia |
13 Jul 2013 | 23h 26m 50s | 62d 29m 20s | 9.8 | 1.895 | Cassiopeia |
14 Jul 2013 | 23h 23m 28s | 63d 00m 55s | 9.8 | 1.902 | Cassiopeia |
15 Jul 2013 | 23h 19m 57s | 63d 31m 41s | 9.8 | 1.908 | Cassiopeia |
16 Jul 2013 | 23h 16m 16s | 64d 01m 38s | 9.9 | 1.915 | Cepheus |
17 Jul 2013 | 23h 12m 26s | 64d 30m 42s | 9.9 | 1.922 | Cepheus |
18 Jul 2013 | 23h 08m 27s | 64d 58m 51s | 9.9 | 1.929 | Cepheus |
19 Jul 2013 | 23h 04m 18s | 65d 26m 05s | 9.9 | 1.936 | Cepheus |
20 Jul 2013 | 22h 59m 59s | 65d 52m 20s | 10.0 | 1.943 | Cepheus |
21 Jul 2013 | 22h 55m 30s | 66d 17m 35s | 10.0 | 1.951 | Cepheus |
22 Jul 2013 | 22h 50m 52s | 66d 41m 47s | 10.0 | 1.958 | Cepheus |
23 Jul 2013 | 22h 46m 04s | 67d 04m 56s | 10.0 | 1.966 | Cepheus |
24 Jul 2013 | 22h 41m 06s | 67d 26m 59s | 10.1 | 1.974 | Cepheus |
25 Jul 2013 | 22h 35m 59s | 67d 47m 53s | 10.1 | 1.982 | Cepheus |
26 Jul 2013 | 22h 30m 44s | 68d 07m 39s | 10.1 | 1.990 | Cepheus |
27 Jul 2013 | 22h 25m 19s | 68d 26m 12s | 10.1 | 1.999 | Cepheus |
28 Jul 2013 | 22h 19m 47s | 68d 43m 33s | 10.2 | 2.007 | Cepheus |
29 Jul 2013 | 22h 14m 06s | 68d 59m 40s | 10.2 | 2.016 | Cepheus |
30 Jul 2013 | 22h 08m 19s | 69d 14m 31s | 10.2 | 2.025 | Cepheus |
31 Jul 2013 | 22h 02m 25s | 69d 28m 05s | 10.2 | 2.034 | Cepheus |
See also
Comet Lemmon (C/2012 F6) now visible in the morning sky from the northern hemisphere
Comet Lemmon (C/2012 F6) returns to the morning sky for observers located at southern hemisphere and tropical latitudes
Comet Lemmon (C/2012 F6) temporarily unobservable as it moves from the evening to morning sky
Comet Lemmon (C/2012 F6) closes in on maximum brightness
Naked eye Comet Lemmon (C/2012 F6) moves past 47 Tuc and SMC
Comet Lemmon (C/2012 F6) now naked eye and continues to improve
Comet Lemmon (C/2012 F6) brightens faster than expected