Color image of comet C/2017 O1 (ASASSN1), obtained on 2017 Jun 22 from Australia SSO, Itelescope.net. Exposure time 9x60 seconds.
Copyright © 2017 by Rolando Ligustri
Welcome to COBS!
Comet Observation database (COBS) was developed in 2010 and is maintained by Crni Vrh Observatory. It is a unique service offering comet observers to submit, display and analyse comet data in a single location and is opened to comet observers worldwide. Registered observers may submit the observations using a simple web-based form which will store their observations into an SQL database and display them in ICQ format.
Data stored in COBS database is freely available to everyone with respect to our data usage policy, and can be analysed with COBS online tools or exported and further used in other analysis software and publications.
Database currently contains more than 230000 comet observations of more than 1200 different comets and represents the largest available database of comet observations.
Amateur comet observers can make a useful contribution to science by observing comets and submitting their observations to the COBS, as the professional astronomers do not have the time nor the telescopes needed to gather such data. We encourage comet observers worldwide to submit their observations and contribute to the COBS database.
Light-curve of C/2017 O1 (ASASSN1) (Aug 21, 2017).
Recent observations
Type Comet name Obs date Mag Dia DC Tail Observer
V 71 2017 08 23.04 11.1 2 3/ GOI
V 2017O1 2017 08 22.21 9.9 4 4 GOI
C 2015ER61 2017 08 22.18 12.1 0.57 6 PAUaa
V 2015VL62 2017 08 22.14 12.9 2 3 GOI
V 2015V2 2017 08 22.04 9.7 4 3 GOI
V 217 2017 08 19.74 12.8 1 3 WYA
V 2017O1 2017 08 19.72 9.5 6 4 WYA
V 2015ER61 2017 08 19.72 12.5 1.5 2 WYA
V 29 2017 08 19.46 13.9 0.8 2 WYA
V 2015VL62 2017 08 19.46 13.7 1 3 WYA
V 71 2017 08 19.44 11.8 2.1 3 WYA
V 2015V2 2017 08 19.42 10.5 3.5 5 WYA
V 2017O1 2017 08 19.10 10.4 4.5 3 COLac
V 2017O1 2017 08 19.05 9.5 5 2 HAR11
V 2015ER61 2017 08 17.69 12.1 1.2 2 WYA
Current comet magnitudes (August 8)
Comet Magnitude Trend Observable When visible Johnson (2015 V2) 9 fade 35 N to 90 S evening PanSTARRS (2015 ER61) 10 fade 55 N to 50 S morning ASASSN1 (2017 O1) 10 bright 50 N to 75 S early morning 71P/Clark 11 fade 35 N to 90 S best evening PanSTARRS (2016 R2) 11 ? bright 30 N to 70 S morning 217P/LINEAR 12.5 fade 25 N to 25 S early morning 29P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 13 ? varies 50 N to 80 S best morning Lemmon-Yeung-PanS (2015 VL62) 13 ? steady 55 N to 45 S best morning 65P/Gunn 14 fade 25 N to 70 S evening PanSTARRS (2015 O1) 14 steady 55 N to 25 S best evening
List of comets maintained by Jonathan Shanklin at http://www.ast.cam.ac.uk/~jds.
Latest news
Large, distant comets more common than previously thought
There are about seven times more long-period comets measuring at least 1 kilometer across than previously predicted, suggests new research. The researchers also found that long-period comets are, on average, nearly twice as large as 'Jupiter family' comets, whose orbits are shaped by Jupiter's gravity and have periods of less than 20 years.
Bizarro comet challenging researchers
Scientists pursue research through observation, experimentation and modeling. They strive for all of these pieces to fit together, but sometimes finding the unexpected is even more exciting. That's what happened recently to a researcher who studies comets, asteroids and planetary formation and was part of a team that published a study focused on the comet 174P/Echeclus. It didn't behave the way the team was expecting.
New tool for CCD photometry - tutorial
CCD photometry of comet still remains as a very difficult work, especially for most wanted total coma magnitudes, compatible with visual observations. Also the usual problem is creating of proper ICQ coded line of observation. To help observers with this, I programmed an application - tool for comet observers, which is now in testing - beta phase.
New Comet: C/2017 K4 (ATLAS)
CBET nr. 4397, issued on 2017, June 01, announces the discovery of a comet (magnitude ~17) by the "Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System" (ATLAS) Team on CCD exposures taken on May 26.5 with the ATLAS 0.5-m f/2.0 Schmidt telescope at Haleakala. The new comet has been designated C/2017 K4 (ATLAS).
COBS maintenance downtime 17.05.2017!
Due to a COBS servers system upgrade, we will have some website downtime on Wednesday 17.05.2017.