Note that the comet, which has been landed by human probes, is about to approach Earth, and the next time will be 200 years
The double-ringed comet 67P/Chulyumov-Gracimenko, taken on March 27, 2016, was only about 200 miles (329 km) away from the Rosetta spacecraft. Image courtesy of ESA/Rosetta probe/NavCam/NASA.
<h1>Comet 67P/Chulyumov-Gracimenko</h1>
Comet 67PCG is one of the most well-studied comets. In August 2014, the European Space Agency's Rosetta probe caught up with 67 PCG. Before the end of the year, the first task is to send the Philae lander to the surface of the comet. Overall, the spacecraft flew with the comet for two years. 67PCG is approaching Earth, getting closer and brighter every day. Observers have targeted its trajectory with telescopes in the backyard, and between now and the closest moment of the comet on November 12, 2021, more people will be looking for it in the sky. There is no danger to this. When it is closest to us, it will be in orbit between Earth and Mars, more than 38 million miles (or 61 million kilometers) from Earth. But what an amazing thing it is to be able to see this awesome comet with a telescope on Earth! Before November 16, 2214, after 193, this was the closest 67PCG was to Earth.
67PCG is an ordinary comet that orbits near the Sun. Soviet astronomers Klim Ivanovich Chulyumov and Svetlana Ivanovna Gracimenko discovered it on October 22, 1969. The 67P only takes 6.43 years to orbit the sun, making it an attractive target for spacecraft. Its core is about 2.6 miles (or 4.2 kilometers) wide. Like many comets that are small and frozen in the solar system, 67PCG has two distinct lobes. Astronomers firmly believe that two-lobed comets like these formed in slow collisions of icing debris as early as about 4.5 billion years ago in the early days of the solar system's formation.
67 PCG's perihelion in 2021 — the closest point to the Sun — will appear on November 3. Its closest accurate moment to Earth is 00:50 UTC on November 12, 2021 (i.e. 08:50 Beijing time on November 12, 2021).
<h1>The Rosetta probe visits Comet 67P</h1>
ESA's Rosetta, named after the Rosetta Stone, which is indispensable for cracking ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs, was a landmark comet exploration mission. It contained for the first time an orbiter orbiting a comet, and the Rosetta probe flew through space with the comet a year before its perihelion in August 2015. The probe also accompanied the comet away from the sun for the second year after it passed its perihelion. The lander of the Rosetta mission, called the Philae, originated from the island of Philae on the Nile, where the Rosetta Stone was unearthed. Landing on the surface of 67P on November 12, 2014, Philae was the first spacecraft in human history to complete the move. Although it landed unharmed on 67P, it was not discovered until a month later due to the comet's extremely low gravity being ejected.
All in all, the Rosetta mission had a profound impact on the study of comets, and scientists' numerous conjectures about comets have been confirmed. For example, it has long been believed that as a comet orbits closer to the Sun, its tiny comet nucleus will constantly spew out gas. But when people actually witness rosetta sending pictures of comet 67P erupting gas from the nucleus... They all sighed: It is so wonderful.
A stream of air ejected by the comet
Comet 67P/Chulyumov-Gracimenko. Image courtesy of ESA Rosetta probe/NASA.
Raymond Negron, who lives in Saint-Germain, Puerto Rico, photographed Comet 67P/Chulyumov-Gracimenko in his backyard using an astronomical telescope with a diameter of 8 inches. Thank you, Raymond!
<h1>A way to find the famous Comet 67P</h1>
Although the comet's brightness is increasing, unfortunately, it won't be bright enough to be visible to the naked eye when it skims over Earth in 2021. Fortunately, its maximum apparent magnitude is expected to be between magnitudes 9 and 10, which is no problem for telescopes for astronomy enthusiasts. Even for small telescopes equipped with cameras, the 67P is an easy target to observe.
Comet 67P/Chulyumov-Gracimenko will be particularly striking in the field of view of those backyard telescopes. When you gaze at it, you should know that this dirty snowball has been patronized by a human-launched probe. The image below will help you find it.
Dominic Ford has a detailed page for observers with telescopes to view comet 67P's trajectory from now until February 2022.
This image faces east and plots the trajectory of 67P at around 11:30 p.m. CST from October 28, 2021 to November 9, 2021. At that time, the comet was orbiting gemini. Illustration: Eddie Irizarry /Stellarium.
This star chart faces east, on the night 67P is closest to Earth (November 11-12, 2021), at 11:30 p.m. CST. The two brightest stars in gemini, Nord-2 and Nord-3, will help locate it because they will form an arc with comets. Illustration: Eddie Irizarry /Stellarium.
Close-up view of the East on November 11, 2021 at around 11:30 PM CENTRALT. Observers can use a computer or a goTo-enabled telescope to point the instrument at the three reference stars on the night when the comet is closest to Earth, making it easy to find Comet 67P. Illustration: Eddie Irizarry /Stellarium.
Comet 67P's orbit suggests it will be closest to Earth on November 11-12, 2021. Image courtesy of NASA/JPL.
<h1>Expecting a bright comet? </h1>
Are you still looking forward to a good binoculars or a comet visible to the naked eye? Another comet, C/2021 A1 (Leonard), is expected to be the brightest comet of the year.
The famous comet, Comet 67P/Chulyumov-Gracimenko, will be closer to Earth in the coming months. Telescopes of astronomy enthusiasts have taken aim at it
BY：Eddie Irizarry
FY：Astronomical volunteer team
If there is any infringement of the relevant content, please contact the author to delete it after the work is published
Please also obtain authorization to reprint, and pay attention to maintaining completeness and indicating source