Your Observations

This is 2 images from St Marys Bridgend of Comet 29P.  The comet is much farther away than the DART Asteroid so it doesn't look like it is moving so quickly.  Researchers think that 29P has ice volcanoes, and that one may have erupted last week.  So we are keeping a careful eye on it!

This is the first observation of asteroid system Didymos and Dimorphos by the new Comet Chasers in Dosbarth Aur at White Rose Primary School New Tredegar.  They are excited to be part of the NASA DART Mission, and looking forward to seeing what happens after impact!!

Another great image from the Comet Chasers in St Mary's Bridgend.  Look at the coma and the tail forming.  It gets closest to the Sun on 19 December 2022.  Researchers think this comet has been travelling from the Oort cloud for millions of years!

Mrs Steer's class at Montgomery School in Mid Wales got an introduction to the DART Mission today and heard about how they can help NASA and ESA.  Here's the observation we set up in the session. 

More great observations from the St Mary's Bridgend Comet Club (VP) for the DART Mission.  Responding well to the pressure of working for NASA!

An example of collaboration!  Data from observations by Montgomery School and St Marys School Bridgend are combined to show a longer path of the asteroid pair Didymos/Dimorphos.

This is a movie of 6 images taken by FLC at St Mary's Bridgend working for the NASA DART Mission.  The asteroid system is getting closer to the Earth and so is moving quicker across our sky.

This is a movie from 4 images taken by Susannah W for the NASA DART Mission.  It was a bit cloudy in Siding Springs Observatory in Australia, but the asteroid Didymos/Dimorphos can still be seen!

This is 3 observations made by St Mary's Bridgend.  Can you see the long tail?  Are you surprised it is in front of the comet?  The tail always points away from the sun.  The radiation pressure from sunlight pushes the dust particles away from the sun.  https://astronomy.swin.edu.au/cosmos/c/cometary+tails

(Ignore the little donuts, they are dust on the camera!)

This is a movie of 3 observations for the DART Mission requested by Lliwan, Efan, Maya and Adam at the National Eisteddfod in Tregaron

This is a movie of 2 observations of comet C/201 K2 made by St Mary's School Bridgend.  Can you see the coma around the comet - that's the part that looks like a cloud?  It is made up of gas and dust coming off the comet as it heats up when getting closer to the sun.

This is made from 3 observations made by Elenor, Aaron and Owain at the National Eisteddfod 2022.  Can you spot the tail?  Are you surprised it is in front of the comet?  The tail always points away from the sun.  The radiation pressure from sunlight pushes the dust particles away from the sun.  https://astronomy.swin.edu.au/cosmos/c/cometary+tails

This is a movie of 3 images of Didymos/Dimorphos taken by St Mary's Catholic Primary School Bridgend for the DART Mission

This is a movie of 4 images of Didymos/Dimorphos taken by Bro Edern, Cardiff for the DART Mission.  Can you spot the 'bonus' asteroid?

This is a movie of 3 observations requested by Tola, Lili and Dylan at the National Eisteddfod in Tregaron