See dwarf planet Haumea at its closest to Earth in 285 years tonight

[Admin]

Dwarf planet Haumea reaches both opposition and perigee on April 20, making this a prime opportunity to see the dwarf planet in the night sky.

See dwarf planet Haumea at its closest to Earth in 285 years tonight : Read more

 

[rod]

"From New York City, per In-the-Sky.org(opens in new tab), Haumea will become visible in the night sky at 8:49 p.m. EDT (0049 GMT on April 21) and will remain so until dawn, when the sun's light will overpower the dwarf planet. Look to the east some 24 degrees above the horizon, which will correspond to just over two widths of your fist held at arm's length."

I checked my location for 0049 UT 21-April using Starry Night Pro Plus 8. It is in Bootes and could be visible, but the apparent magnitude shows 17.3. My 10-inch Newtonian is rated for 14.0, and that in a dark sky. Something to consider for any who attempt to view Haumea.

 

[Idaho Astro]

Yeah, the article clearly implies that a casual observer will be able to see it without optical aid, a slight exaggeration given that it will be over 25,000 times fainter than the dimmest star visible from a dark site. Not to mention the suggestion that one can find it by "looking east...two fist widths above the horizon," and that it will remain in that spot until dawn. The reality is that it would take a skilled observer with a sizeable telescope and dark, pristine skies, and even then, picking it out from the multitude of stars of similar brightness would be challenging at best.

Do better, Space.com; this is embarrassing.