Comet C/2006M4 (SWAN) animation

[AiO.061015]

Comet C/2006M4 (SWAN) animation.

a short animation from some images takes on Dec 15 using Dome 2 wide field. Im very suprized to see how fast and far it moved in an under and hour.




full size image here

http://heliospheric-labs.com/gallery/v/Astronomy/Slooh+Telescope/Solar+System/Comets/C2006M4+-SWAN/animations/20061215_145235_5769.gif.html?g2_imageViewsIndex=1

[RickyF.040910]

Hi AiO ,

Thank you for the animation of comet C/2006M4 (SWAN) .Great job. keep up the good work.

Ricky
_________________
http://myslooh.com/orion1958
RickyF.040910
"Nuts" By General Anthony McAuliffe,_ _ Resistance is Futile ._http://www.slooh.com/space_camera_telescope/observatoryspecs/Observatory_Specs.html

[KochavaY.050616]

thanks, Ai, nice animation and fun to watch! you are right that it is amazing it moved so far in a short time.

[AiO.061015]

Here is one from Dec 27 2006 missions
full size at this link
http://www.heliospheric-labs.com/gallery/v/Astronomy/Slooh+Telescope/Solar+System/Comets/C2006M4+-SWAN/animations/20061227_143705_5211.gif.html

[KochavaY.050616]

thanks, Ai! this one is better, with the stars staying in one place and just the comet moving.

interesting that the comet is moving in a direction perpendicular to its tail - you wouldn't think that - it would seem that the comet would be moving with the tail ahead of it or behind it, except for the part when the comet is coming 'round the sun, and then we couldn't see it at all. so, I wonder what part of its orbit it is now in.

[David_leeD.061001]

Kochava, that's because Swan is in an extreme hyperbolic orbit that is within 20 degrees or so of being at a right angle to our own. Thus, we are looking at the "top" of the comet as it slides sideways.

This type of orbit will most likely sling it deep into interstellar space, never to return.
_________________

[AiO.061015]

David is right about lookng at it slide sideways as it heading out of the solar system. But we are looking at the bottom of comet as its location is is above our solar systems orbital plane. It should cross below the plane in early April.

When I ran a long time orbit sim, it stop at Jan 1 2200 at a distance of 188AU and the comet still on a course away from us.


Kochava, also rember that the tail of comet always face from the sun. So depending on its location it orbit the tail could be behind, beside or in front.

here is a great comet sim
http://www.windows.ucar.edu/tour/link=/comets/comet_model_interactive.html
its show how the tail changes direction depending on its location in orbit
Right now the tail is off to the side and will start moving more and more in front of the tragetory.

Here the orbit sim for Swan M4


http://neo.jpl.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/db_shm?rec=902770

[David_leeD.061001]

Well, I guess you got me on that top/bottom thing, but technically, is their actually a top or bottom in space?? Think about it before you answer.
_________________

[KochavaY.050616]

thanks, Ai! that is a good simulation. I was aware of the fact that the tail points away from the sun, but didn't think about whether the Earth is on the same or opposite side of the sun when the comet is closest to the sun. and as both you and David pointed out - it is important to think of it three-dimensionally, since comets are often above or below the ecliptic.

David - of course there's an up and down! north is always up - just look at any map!

ok, j/k, of course it's all a matter of our point of view, but it's probably better to say "north of the ecliptic" or "south of the ecliptic" rather than "up" or "down".

[David_leeD.061001]

I guess our southern hemisphere comrades need to flip upside down & walk on their hands before all their blood rushes into their head, since technically, they are standing upside-down.
_________________

[KochavaY.050616]

just a bit of trivia - in ancient times, maps were drawn with east at the top. (that's where we get the word "orientation".)

[AiO.061015]

with the data we have is there any way to calculate the speed that comet swan is traveling?

[RalphD.050702]

Ai,

I was wondering how great a role the calculated speed of a
comet plays in the recovery process of comets?

Also does the orbit angle of Swan rule out an Oort cloud comet?