Comet C/2011 J2 Linear splitting: a new image (6 Oct. 2014) and new animation
Comet C/2011 J2 Linear with its fragment: 06 Oct. 2014
Continuing the constant monitoring of comet C/2011 J2 Linear and its fragment, new observations were performed on 6 Oct. 2014, while an almost full, extremely bright Moon was present, with a very serious interference.
Despite this, we succeeded detecting the fragment b. The image above comes from seventeen , 300-seconds unfiltered exposures, remotely collected with the PlaneWave 17″+Paramount ME+SBIG STL-6303E robotic unit part of the Virtual Telescope Project. They were combined using a median technique, to limit the potential interference of faint stars with the fragment. Fragment b is apparently fainter, we will observe it again under less lunar interference soon. The telescope tracked at the apparent rate of the comet.
Adding this new image to our interesting collection covering this object, it is possible to make a precious animation showing how the fragment separated in almost one month.
C/2011 J2: 13 vs 24 vs 29 Sept. vs 6 Oct. 2014
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