True color image obtained on 2015 Jan. 19 (18h28-18h40UT) with 60-cm, f/3.3 telescope and LBVR filters. Exposure time was 4x20s in each filter. Copyright © 2015 by H. Mikuz, Crni Vrh Observatory.
Welcome to COBS!
Between 1989-1997 an intensive comet photometry program at Crni Vrh Observatory resulted in contribution of hundreds of CCD observations to the ICQ database and IAU Circulars. This also created a need for an online observational database. The first version was created in 2002 and was used by Slovenian comet observers. The database contained 35 visually observed comets during the period 2002-2008. The best observed comets, with complete light-curves collected have been C/2002 C1 (Ikeya-Zhang), C/2002 V1 (NEAT), C/2001 Q4 (NEAT) and C/2004 Q2 (Machholz) as well as outburst of comet 17P/Holmes in late 2007.
The Comet Observation Database (COBS) is unique service, offering comet observers to submit, display and analyse comet data in a single location. It is maintained by the Crni Vrh Observatory and is opened to comet observers worldwide. Registered observers may now submit the observations using a simple web-based form which will store their observations into an SQL database and display them in ICQ format. Furthermore the users are be able to create light-curve graphs of selected comets and see all the observations. We encourage comet observers worldwide to submit their observations and contribute to the COBS database.
Light-curve of Comet C/2014 Q2 (Lovejoy) (Jan 30, 2015).
Recent observations
Type Comet name Obs date Mag Dia DC Tail Observer
V 2014Q2 2015 01 31.75 4.7 12 D5 MEY
V 2014Q2 2015 01 30.98 4.6 15 6 GOI
V 2014R1 2015 01 30.72 12.7 1.5 3 CAM03
C 2014W11 2015 01 30.51 14.6 0.5 HILaa
C 2014AA52 2015 01 30.46 15.5 0.2 HILaa
V 2014R1 2015 01 29.72 12.7 1.5 3 CAM03
C 2014A4 2015 01 29.48 15.3 0.2 HILaa
C 2012K1 2015 01 29.46 11.3 0.6 HILaa
V 2014Q2 2015 01 29.08 4.4 14 3/ AGUag
C 4 2015 01 28.51 14.4 0.4 HILaa
V 2014Q2 2015 01 28.12 4.3: &14 4/ AGUag
V 2014Q2 2015 01 26.91 4.7 15 6 0.3 80 BIEaa
V 2014Q2 2015 01 26.91 4.5: &17 2/ BIEaa
V 2014Q2 2015 01 26.84 4.5 18 4 0.9 78 SKOaa
C 2013V5 2015 01 26.76 15.3 0.2 HILaa
Comet Observing Planner
Current comet magnitudes (January 17)
Comet Magnitude Trend Observable When visible Lovejoy (2014 Q2) 4.5 fade 90 N to 50 S best evening 15P/Finlay 8.5 fade ? 70 N to 30 S evening PanSTARRS (2012 K1) 11 fade 35 N to 50 S evening Borisov (2014 R1) 12 fade 50 N to 40 S early morning Siding Spring (2013 A1) 12 steady 60 N to 25 N early morning Catalina (2013 US10) 12.5 bright Poor elongation Oukaimeden (2013 V5) 12.5 fade 60 N to 25 S morning 29P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 13 ? varies Poor elongation PanSTARRS (2012 F3) 13.5 ? steady Poor elongation 32P/Comas Sola 13.5 steady 70 N to 35 S morning Borisov (2014 Q3) 13.5 fade 90 N to 40 N evening & 17P/Holmes 13.5 fade 90 N to 5 S best evening PanSTARRS (2014 Q1) 15 ? bright Poor elongation
List of comets maintained by Jonathan Shanklin at http://www.ast.cam.ac.uk/~jds.
Latest news
CometWatch – 21 January
Today’s CometWatch mosaic comprises images taken by Rosetta’s navigation camera (NAVCAM) on 21 January, from a distance of 27.9 km from the centre of Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko. The image resolution is 2.4 m/pixel and the individual 1024 x 1024 frames measure 2.4 km across. The mosaic is slightly cropped and measures 4.2 x 4 km.
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COSIMA watches comet shed its dusty coat
Early results from Rosetta's COmetary Secondary Ion Mass Analyser (COSIMA) are published today in the journal Nature. The study covers August to October, when the comet moved along its orbit between about 535 million kilometres to 450 million kilometres from the Sun, and when Rosetta was orbiting the comet at distances of 30 km or less.
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Hello Hatmehit – CometWatch 18 January
Today’s CometWatch mosaic comprises images taken by Rosetta’s navigation camera (NAVCAM) on 18 January, from a distance of 28.4 km from the centre of Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko. The image resolution is 2.4 m/pixel and the individual 1024 x 1024 frames measure 2.5 km across. The mosaic is slightly cropped and measures 3.7 x 4.0 km.
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Extremely dark, dry and rich in organics: VIRTIS view of 67P/C-G
Based on the press release of the National Institute for Astrophysics in Italy covering the results of the VIRTIS instrument – the Visible and Infrared Thermal Imaging Spectrometer on Rosetta – that were published last night in the journal Science. The results are based on data collected by VIRTIS between August and December 2014.
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Comet ‘pouring’ more water into space
Based on the NASA-JPL press release reporting the results of Rosetta’s MIRO instrument, NASA’s Microwave Instrument on the Rosetta Orbiter and with additional inputs from the MIRO team.
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