La Cañada Observatory, is an initiative by Juan Lacruz, the observatory started astrometric operations in the summer of 2002, it is registered as station J87 in the Minor Planet Center of the International Astronomical Union.

The Observatory also participates in the studies on minor bodies promoted by the Group on Meteorites, Minor Bodies, and Planetary Sciences of the Institute of Space Sciences (CSIC-IEEC).



Friday, January 9, 2015

Comet C/2014 Q2 Lovejoy

Comet C/2014 Q2 Lovejoy in a mosaic composition, 09-Jan-2015
(c) 2015 Juan Lacruz, Observatorio de La Cañada

Inner comma study of comet C/2014 Q2 Lovejoy, the Larson Sekanina rotational gradient enhances the many jets of sublimating volatiles. These get ionized by the Solar wind becoming a plasma that gets trapped in the magnetic field lines, as the comet nucleus rotates these plasma streamers form beatiful knots and the comet displays a vivid greenish electric colour.