Comet Lovejoy is now putting on a superb performance in the early morning sky for Northern Hemisphere observers. At the end of November, it reached 4th magnitude and was visible to the naked eye. The comet was easily seen through binoculars and small telescopes, appearing obviously non-stellar with a nice fuzzy halo and tail. For the remainder of the year, Lovejoy keeps in almost as good shape. Although predicted to fade slightly during December, it should remain an easy binocular and small telescope target, although more difficult with the naked eye.
Location and star chart
Lovejoy started December in Boötes at magnitude +4.3. Traveling in a southeastern direction it then passed just south of Nekkar (β Boo - mag. +3.5) on December 2nd before crossing the border into Corona Borealis on December 4th. The comet then moves through Corona Borealis until December 12th when it enters Hercules, remaining there until the end of the year. During this time Lovejoy is expected to decrease in brightness to magnitude. +6.0. It remains well placed for observation from northern temperate locations, appearing reasonably high above the eastern horizon during the early hours of the morning. However, from the tropics and Southern Hemisphere, unfortunately the comet won't be visible until next year.
The finder charts below show the positions of comet Lovejoy from December 2 to December 30, 2013 and from November 27 to December 11, 2013.
Comet Lovejoy (C/2013 R1) Finder Chart from December 2 to December 30, 2013 - pdf format
Comet Lovejoy (C/2013 R1) Finder Chart from November 27 to December 11, 2013 - pdf format
C/2013 R1 (Lovejoy) Data (at epoch September 23, 2013)
| Name | C/2013 R1 (Lovejoy) |
|---|---|
| Type | Comet |
| Discoverer | Terry Lovejoy |
| Discovery date | September 7, 2013 |
| Aphelion (AU) | 678.767 |
| Perihelion (AU) | 0.81161 |
| Semi-major axis | 339.789 |
| Eccentricity | 0.99761 |
| Orbital period (years) | 6263.58 |
| Inclination (degrees) | 64.0403 |
| Longitude of ascending node (degrees) | 70.7012 |
| Perihelion | December 25th, 2013 |
| Notes | Fourth comet discovered by Australian amateur astronomer Terry Lovejoy |
Comet Lovejoy (C/2013 R1) Data Table
| Date | Right Ascension | Declination | Estimated Magnitude | Distance from Earth (AU) | Constellation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30 Nov 2013 | 14h 36m 25s | 41d 18m 58s | 4.3 | 0.478 | Boötes |
| 01 Dec 2013 | 14h 49m 55s | 40d 40m 25s | 4.3 | 0.492 | Boötes |
| 02 Dec 2013 | 15h 02m 23s | 39d 58m 26s | 4.4 | 0.508 | Boötes |
| 03 Dec 2013 | 15h 13m 52s | 39d 14m 00s | 4.4 | 0.524 | Boötes |
| 04 Dec 2013 | 15h 24m 26s | 38d 27m 60s | 4.5 | 0.541 | Boötes |
| 05 Dec 2013 | 15h 34m 09s | 37d 41m 03s | 4.5 | 0.559 | Corona Borealis |
| 06 Dec 2013 | 15h 43m 06s | 36d 53m 43s | 4.6 | 0.577 | Corona Borealis |
| 07 Dec 2013 | 15h 51m 21s | 36d 06m 22s | 4.6 | 0.595 | Corona Borealis |
| 08 Dec 2013 | 15h 58m 57s | 35d 19m 20s | 4.7 | 0.614 | Corona Borealis |
| 09 Dec 2013 | 16h 05m 59s | 34d 32m 48s | 4.8 | 0.633 | Corona Borealis |
| 10 Dec 2013 | 16h 12m 29s | 33d 46m 57s | 4.8 | 0.652 | Corona Borealis |
| 11 Dec 2013 | 16h 18m 32s | 33d 01m 52s | 4.9 | 0.672 | Corona Borealis |
| 12 Dec 2013 | 16h 24m 08s | 32d 17m 38s | 5.0 | 0.692 | Corona Borealis |
| 13 Dec 2013 | 16h 29m 22s | 31d 34m 16s | 5.0 | 0.712 | Hercules |
| 14 Dec 2013 | 16h 34m 15s | 30d 51m 47s | 5.1 | 0.732 | Hercules |
| 15 Dec 2013 | 16h 38m 49s | 30d 10m 12s | 5.1 | 0.752 | Hercules |
| 16 Dec 2013 | 16h 43m 06s | 29d 29m 29s | 5.2 | 0.772 | Hercules |
| 17 Dec 2013 | 16h 47m 08s | 28d 49m 37s | 5.3 | 0.792 | Hercules |
| 18 Dec 2013 | 16h 50m 56s | 28d 10m 34s | 5.4 | 0.812 | Hercules |
| 19 Dec 2013 | 16h 54m 30s | 27d 32m 19s | 5.4 | 0.832 | Hercules |
| 20 Dec 2013 | 16h 57m 54s | 26d 54m 51s | 5.5 | 0.853 | Hercules |
| 21 Dec 2013 | 17h 01m 07s | 26d 18m 06s | 5.5 | 0.873 | Hercules |
| 22 Dec 2013 | 17h 04m 10s | 25d 42m 03s | 5.6 | 0.892 | Hercules |
| 23 Dec 2013 | 17h 07m 04s | 25d 06m 41s | 5.6 | 0.912 | Hercules |
| 24 Dec 2013 | 17h 09m 50s | 24d 31m 58s | 5.7 | 0.932 | Hercules |
| 25 Dec 2013 | 17h 12m 29s | 23d 57m 52s | 5.8 | 0.951 | Hercules |
| 26 Dec 2013 | 17h 15m 01s | 23d 24m 23s | 5.8 | 0.971 | Hercules |
| 27 Dec 2013 | 17h 17m 27s | 22d 51m 27s | 5.9 | 0.990 | Hercules |
| 28 Dec 2013 | 17h 19m 47s | 22d 19m 05s | 5.9 | 1.009 | Hercules |
| 29 Dec 2013 | 17h 22m 02s | 21d 47m 15s | 6.0 | 1.027 | Hercules |
| 30 Dec 2013 | 17h 24m 12s | 21d 15m 57s | 6.0 | 1.046 | Hercules |
| 31 Dec 2013 | 17h 26m 18s | 20d 45m 09s | 6.0 | 1.064 | Hercules |
See also
Comet Lovejoy (C/2013 R1) remains visible with binoculars and small telescopes
Comet Lovejoy (C/2013 R1) a January 2014 binocular comet
Lovejoy (C/2013 R1) a naked eye Northern Hemisphere comet during December
Comet Lovejoy (C/2013 R1) remains a naked eye object, easy with binoculars
Comet Lovejoy (C/2013 R1) reaches naked eye brightness
Comet Lovejoy (C/2013 R1) visible with binoculars
Comet Lovejoy (C/2013 R1) now within small telescope range