One of a kind Comet flies across South Africa! 1
Comet C/2020 F8 SWAN captured by Australia's Siding Spring telescope.

Comet Swan has been called the “best-naked eye comet of 2020.”

 

Cederberg, South Africa (6 May 2020) – The comet is known as the ‘Swan’ comet and is bright enough that it can be seen with the naked eye. It’ll be noticeable in the dark night sky because of its greenish tinge and long, blue tail.

As COVID-19 fills our lives, the newly discovered Comet Swan is currently gliding across our skies. Local astronomer, Heine Wieben Rasmussen, has captured a series of spectacular images of Comet Swan from the remote mountains of the Cederberg in South Africa, where he owns Bliss & Stars, a mindfulness and astronomy retreat, with his wife, Daria.

Comets are cosmic snowballs of frozen gases, rock and dust that orbit the Sun – they leave streaking tails of debris behind them as they travel across the sky. The Greeks and Romans and many other ancient cultures believed that the appearance of comets was a sign of significant earthly events to come.

The C/2020 F8 (SWAN) or Comet SWAN, is a comet that was discovered in images taken by the SWAN camera on March 25, 2020, aboard the Solar Heliospheric Observer (SOHO) spacecraft. It is to be found 100 million km from Earth in the constellation of Cetus and is less than 50 degrees from the Sun. In the Southern hemisphere, the comet is barely visible.

One of a kind Comet flies across South Africa!
Photo Cred: The newly discovered Comet Swan, officially known as C/2020 F8 (SWAN), captured on telescope and camera in the Cederberg, South Africa, by astronomer Heine Wieben Rasmussen, at Bliss & Stars, an Astronomy and Mindfulness Retreat.

Rasmussen said the reason he was able to obtain the photographs was the darkness of the sky.

“I am very fortunate to live in the Cederberg in a dark sky area, where there is very little light pollution. Increasing urbanisation has kept skies in the towns and cities artificially light, so few people have experienced the magic of the Milky Way crossing a star-studded sky.”

“We have lost our connection with nature on so many levels. It is time to pause and reconnect – looking up at the stars is a wonderful way to regain perspective.”


Source: Heine Wieben Rasmussen
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Recognised as one of the Mail and Guardian’s Top 200 Young South African’s as well as a Primedia LeadSA Hero, Brent is a change maker, thought leader, radio host, foodie, vlogger, writer and all round good guy.

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