A rare phenomenon occurs these days in the sky: it is possible to observe a comet with the naked eye which spins in space at a distance relatively close to the Earth. An event like that happens about every 10 years. But the last comet visible to the naked eye was in 2007 and the show was really not good. Otherwise, the last one worthing a look was in 1997 and 1998. Right now and until July 21, Comet Neowise is visible shorty before daybreak. We can see it from 3:20 a.m. until about 4:10 a.m. looking northeast. But the best time is between 3:30 and 3:50 am. Around July 15, it can be observed after sunset, until September. However, the more time passes, the less it will be visible. A picture taken near Montreal. The technical name of this comet is C / 2020 F3 NEOWISE. It takes its name from the NASA telescope which discovered it on March 27, whose acronym is NEOWISE. If it is visible to the naked eye, it means that the comet passes relatively close to our planet. At its closest point, on July 23, NEOWISE will be 64 million miles from us, nearly 268 times the distance between Earth and the Moon. There are many coins celebrating the comet of 44 BC., like the one of Julius Caesar and Augustus. Maybe you have one of these in your collection and we would love to see it . If not, please show us your coins featuring a nice Star ! Crispus star above Tacitus star in right field Probus star between Providencia & Sol P.S. and do not forget to get up early tomorrow morning...
Pretty slick. Unfortunately, I'm usually sound asleep when it is visible, plus I'm in a gulch (small valley to you) so much of my sky vision is blocked. I rely on others photos to enjoy these spectacles.
Way cool, @Ocatarinetabellatchitchix ! Thanks for the alert! Is either of the comet pics yours? Roman Republic Litrae get no respect... STAR RR Anon AE Litra 260 BCE Minerva star behind head ROMANO Horse Hd Cr 17-1g S 593
Sadly no. I've never tried astrophotography yet. The pictures are from the amateur astronomer Raphael Dubuc.
How 'bout a Makedonwn Star: Makedon Philip II Tet Pella LIFETIME 353-349 Zeus Horse star spearhd Le Rider 102
Thanks for alerting me to the Neowise Comet, maybe I will go out sometime soon and look at it. Here's a picture made of it by astronaut Bob Behnken from the ISS. You can easily find lists of comets observed by classical authors online. This article is quite good, I think: critical towards credulous authors (Livy!) and trying to distinguish between comets and meteors (the Latin for meteor is Fax!). I found it for free on a Harvard website: A.A. Barrett, Observations of Comets in Greek and Roman sources before A.D. 410, in the Journal of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada, 1978, p. 81. Meanwhile, I don't have comet coins, but many star coins. Astrology was (naturally) very important for ancients and medievals. On this heavy Provincial coin of Domitian (Flaviopolis), the Dioscuri are shown with stars at their foreheads - because they are also the stars of the Gemini constellation. Here is Elagabalus with three stars and a crescent, a small coin (16 mm) of Nicopolis ad Istrum. Constantinian coins often have stars, like these campgates. On the first, Constantine looks like he has swallowed one. Julian has two stars on this barbarous imitation. Never saw a more sloppy star than on this early Abbasid fals. AE fals, al-Saghaniyan (Central Asia) 153 AH (770 AD). Obv. eight-pointed star with dot in the middle. Yellow copper. Album 334. Vladimir Nastich 'A Survey of Abbasid Coinage of Transoxiana' (2012), fig. 20. Zeno #127002. But this is a very nice star coin, a well-known type of the Seljuqs, a silver dirham. I have two of them, with the same description: Kaikhusraw II (1236-1245). Obv. Lion with rising sun. Four stars in the field; but the second one has three stars. Rev. Mint Konya. Year 639 (=1241/2).
I got up early this morning, walked about a mile outside of town and stood in the middle of a big field to have a good view of the Northeastern horizon and it was worth it. It was recognizable even with my glasses off. I am looking forward to being able to see it after sunset in the coming weeks as I have a good view to the West from my backyard and will hopefully be able to lug out the telescope for a better look.
The following silver drachm of Parthian king Phraates IV has 2 stars on obverse. But the star over the head of the king seems original.
MITHRIDATES VI. ca. 120-63 B.C.E. AE Bronze. Perhaps minted in Amisos. Head of horse to r., with 8-rayed star below. Rv. Seven-rayed star with corn ear (or comet?). 2,29 g. SNG Stancomb 653. Lindgren III,9,654. Hoover, Handbook Anatolia, 100,317. Augustus (27 BC-AD 14). AR Denarius (19.5mm, 3.69g, 7h). Uncertain Spanish mint (Colonia Caesaraugusta?), c. 19-18 BC. Head l., wearing oak wreath. R/ Comet of eight rays with tail upward. RIC I 37b; RSC 97. Banker's mark, VF
Julian/star on reverse. I got up at 4:45 today and looked to the east. Unfortunately there is a hill in that direction and several trees which apparently blocked it. I waited until 5:20. Venus rose but no sign of the comet, though lots of folks have taken pictures of it. Here's a cool video of the comet taken by one of the members of theskysearchers.com, an astronomy forum where I am a co-admin.
There is a star on a very rare tetradrachm of Tigranes the great's headdress where normally there are 2 eagles. The Comet coin of Mithradates are very controversial, Comet, Corn stalk, Taenia take your pick. Any theories on the horses head and star on the other side?
Yes- a bright comet appeared at the time of the birth of Mithradates VI in the constellation Pegasus. So some say he claimed divine right to reign. from JSTOR online:
Here is the link to the whole 57 page paper:https://www.jstor.org/stable/311482?read-now=1&seq=10#page_scan_tab_contents