[The Black Rabbit]

Originally Posted by carlos_dfc

Hi Doug

Comets tend to be on VERY elliptical orbits, and travel slowest when they are at furthest point from the Sun (aphelion) and fastest at closest point (perihelion)
Comet Tuttle is close to it's perihelion at the moment - so it is also travelling at (or near) it's fastest speed.
Also - Tuttle's orbit is very highly inclined, compared to the flat-ish plane on which the planets orbit. So it is also moving quite fast 'downwards' (if you allow North as 'up', and South as 'down')
Tuttle is also thought to be the source of the material that causes the 'Ursids' meteor shower (it often passes very close to the Earth's orbit)
Although the Tuttle/Ursids connection isn't yet fully 100% certain.
Ursids occur mid to late December, that is when Tuttle passes close to Earth's orbit.

So - we are seeing it at it's fastest - AND - it is moving across our field of view - AND it is fairly close.

Cheers Carlos.
Just what I wanted.
Ta.
Doug