TEMPO.CO, Jakarta – A Japanese amateur astronomer, namely Hideo Nishimura, recently discovered comet called C/2023 P1 (Nishimura). Observers in Indonesia have the opportunity to see it until September 6, 2023. “Nishimura discovered the comet after examining the results of the portraits taken,” said astronomer from the Bosscha Observatory Yatny Yulianti, Tuesday, September 5, 2023.
According to him, comets are relics of the solar system which are defined as icy bodies consisting of frozen gas, rock and dust. The material is left over from the formation of the solar system about 4.6 billion years ago. The new findings add to the number of comets found. The United States Aviation and Space Agency or NASA has recorded as many as 3,473 comets as of January 2023.
In addition, said Yatny, the discovery of a new comet provides an opportunity for astronomers to learn more about the characteristics, origin of comets, the composition of the material that forms them, and so on. “This information can add to our knowledge of the history of the solar system better,” he said.
According to Yatny, the discovery of the new comet by Hideo Nishimura began with an examination of the outer space photos he had taken. The results were then confirmed with photos of the same sky area taken the previous night and there were similarities in the findings of celestial objects. “After being reported and checked from other observations, this comet was caught by the PanSTARSS survey telescope in January 2023 or seven months earlier,” he said.
In other conditions, the findings of bright comets can come from observations, or determined later from photographs. Unnoticed beforehand, the shooting results turned out to show a comet passing by like Nishimura’s findings.
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According to Yatny, discoveries of celestial objects by amateur astronomers have the same value as discoveries by professional astronomers or other professional missions, after the truth and accuracy of their findings are confirmed by the astronomical community.
He said amateur astronomers could be defined as people who have fun or enthusiasm for astronomy and make it a hobby. Types of activities such as actively observing using a telescope or photographing celestial bodies. “Amateur astronomers do not have a formal educational background in astronomy and do not make the astronomy profession their main job,” said Yatny.
Interestingly, the amateur astronomer community is growing very well in terms of both numbers and productivity. According to him, what Nishimura did was an example of a real contribution to science. “The amateur community, even the general public, have the same opportunity and capacity to contribute to the development of astronomical knowledge,” he said.
Another example is community participation in citizen science projects in astronomy, as in 2007, a teacher in the Netherlands discovered a new galaxy while participating in the Galaxy Zoo project. Meanwhile, according to him, quite a number of comet findings by amateur astronomers were caused by a number of factors. Like the large telescopes at universities or other institutions, they are generally built with specific objectives predetermined.
On the other hand, the amateur astronomer has a lot of discretion in using his time and instruments. Usually, one of the things done is to observe parts of the sky that are not observed by professional astronomers’ surveying projects.
Furthermore, the new findings of the comet will be followed by observations to collect more data. “Long-term observations of comets are carried out to obtain comet characteristics such as the period and chemical composition of the comet,” said Yatny.
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The new comet can be seen from Indonesia
Meanwhile, according to Avivah Yamani, activist of the Langit Selatan community in Bandung, the new comet can be witnessed in Indonesian territory from 1-6 September 2023. Observations of the comet are directed to the east.
“The challenge is a matter of observation time because the sun is about to rise,” he said Saturday, September 2, 2023. The comet that Nishimura discovered on August 12, 2023 in Indonesian territory will pass at a low altitude, namely near the eastern horizon, with a movement that is not as fast as a meteor.
Having a maximum brightness of 4.8 magnitude, observers can see it with direct eyes without the aid of tools at night. The best observation locations are for example in coastal areas. “The one to the east is not obstructed by buildings and other things,” said Avivah.
It is estimated that this celestial body will reach the closest distance to the sun or perihelion, which is 34 million kilometers on September 18, 2023. During its journey, the comet will also pass close to earth on September 13 with a distance of 128 million kilometers.
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2023-09-06 03:29:25
#Story #Discovery #Comet #C2023 #Japanese #Amateur #Astronomers
