An Hour in the Life of Comet P/2010 V1 Ikeya-Murakami Fragments A, B, and C

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Photographer:

Mike Olason

Location of Photo:

Denver, Colorado

Date/Time of photo:

2016/01/29 0946-1046 UT

Equipment:

11" SCT @ f/6 Telescope and STF-8300M CCD Camera

Description:

These images show comet P/2010 V1 Ikeya-Murakami's 19th magnitude fragments A, B and C movements over one hour. Fragment A was expected to be this bright, but Fragment C was not predicted to be brighter than magnitude 20, maybe Fragment B debris is showering Fragment C causing it to brighten. Fragment B over the hour appears to disperse into a cloud debris, maybe it is rotating within a debris cloud and changes it's appearance over the hour or it is breaking up further during this hour. Needless to say, the images are not pretty, but considering the fragments are magnitude 19, they show what amatuers with small telescopes can do with a CCD camera.