Comet Lovejoy: C/2014 Q2 | Schulman Telescope

Comet Lovejoy: C/2014 Q2 | Schulman Telescope

Comet Lovejoy or C/2014 Q2 is a long-period comet discovered on August 17, 2014, by amateur astronomer, Terry Lovejoy, from Queensland, Australia using a 0.2-meter (8 in) Schmidt–Cassegrain telescope. It was discovered at apparent magnitude 15 in the southern constellation of Puppis. It is the fifth comet discovered by Terry Lovejoy. The blue-green glow of C/2014 Q2 is the result of organic molecules (mostly Diatomic carbon) and water released by the comet fluorescing under the intense ultraviolet (UV) and optical light of the Sun as it passes through space.

Image Details:

Optics: 32-inch Schulman Telescope (RCOS)

Camera:  SBIG STX16803 CCD Camera 

Learn more from Jan. 20, 2015, Time Magazine article:

https://time.com/3674582/lovejoy-comet-green-space/

Image Credit & Copyright: Adam Block—Mount Lemmon SkyCenter/University of Arizona

Image Date: Jan. 21, 2015

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