Crescent and Olbers

From the photographer: “In the weekend of 8-9 June 2024 we camped in Longoz, the floodplain forests of Susurluk river delta at the coast of Marmara Sea, near Karacabey, Bursa province, Turkey. The floodplain forests are separated from the sea by a 200-meter-wide band of sand dunes, on top of which I photographed this scene of the Moon setting in the evening of 8th June. The 2-day-old Moon was a thin crescent with nice earthshine, while Pollux and Castor, the bright stars of Gemini (the Twins) were shining above the Moon. A careful look with binoculars about 12 degrees to right hand side of the Moon finds comet 13P/Olbers at mag. +7.3.

Olbers has returned to the inner Solar System after 68 years. It is set to reach perihelion on 30th June 2024. The periodical comet will be shining around mag. +7 in June and July 2024, but will stay low in the northwest and not get brighter; unless there is a surprise outburst. Move the slider on the image for annotations marking Pollux, Castor, and comet Olbers.”