Comet Catalina C/2013 US10 on December/January 2015/2016
Our Holiday Guest Comet
This holiday season has provided us with a special guest -- a comet. Comet Catalina
(C/2013 US10) is currently easy to locate with binoculars in the morning sky. For some
reason our visitor was perturbed from the Oort Cloud where she had been residing for
billions of years and sent sunward. Catalina has passed around the sun and is on her way
out of the solar system never to return. Our one time guest is currently well placed for
binocular viewing about half way between Spica and Arcturus in the early morning sky.
She will continue to an enjoyable comet to follow across the sky through mid-January.
Drawing done on the morning of December 20, 2015 with a 155mm refractor at 84x.
Beaverbrook, Maryland.
(C/2013 US10) is currently easy to locate with binoculars in the morning sky. For some
reason our visitor was perturbed from the Oort Cloud where she had been residing for
billions of years and sent sunward. Catalina has passed around the sun and is on her way
out of the solar system never to return. Our one time guest is currently well placed for
binocular viewing about half way between Spica and Arcturus in the early morning sky.
She will continue to an enjoyable comet to follow across the sky through mid-January.
Drawing done on the morning of December 20, 2015 with a 155mm refractor at 84x.
Beaverbrook, Maryland.
Comet Catalina On January 2, 2016
The Holiday Comet, Catalina, is currently an easy target in binoculars and probably visible without
aid under dark skies. Over the next couple of mornings look for it near the bright star Arcturus
where it passed on January 1st and is moving in the direction of the Big Dipper. To me the coma
(bright center) is more distinct than when I drew it late last December. Drawing made with a
155mm Refractor at 50x from my light polluted deck at the house, Columbia, Maryland.
aid under dark skies. Over the next couple of mornings look for it near the bright star Arcturus
where it passed on January 1st and is moving in the direction of the Big Dipper. To me the coma
(bright center) is more distinct than when I drew it late last December. Drawing made with a
155mm Refractor at 50x from my light polluted deck at the house, Columbia, Maryland.
Comet Catalina On The Morning Of January 5, 2016
Comet Catalina (C/2013 US10) is about as bright as it is going to get. It is a reasonably easy
object to spot with binoculars even under light-polluted skies. The bright coma appeared to be
off set to the center of the comet at about 7 o'clock. This drawing was done using a 155mm
refractor and a 22mm Nagler eyepiece (50x) from the deck of my house this morning.
object to spot with binoculars even under light-polluted skies. The bright coma appeared to be
off set to the center of the comet at about 7 o'clock. This drawing was done using a 155mm
refractor and a 22mm Nagler eyepiece (50x) from the deck of my house this morning.