Comet observing report 10/11/13
Comet C /2013 R1 Lovejoy 01:45 AEST=15:45UT
First seen in 10x60 bino's when 15° above my horizon as a
fairly bright elongated oval,much like a globular cluster would look like in bino's.
Not naked eye at this time as transparency is poor.
16"scope, 13mm nagler shows a Large bright Coma,much brighter and condensed toward center, tail not very long at this time as seeing is very poor.
02:45 AEST=16:45 comet was observed naked eye,estimate at about mag 5.5-6
Altitude 25° and in a much clearer sky.
Still no tail as such visible in 10x60 bino's.
13mm eyepiece shows tail extending out of the field of the eyepiece (FOV 35 arc minutes)
An11.8 mag star was embedded in the tail and movement of the comet was noticeable with the movement away from this star over a very short time.
At 03:30,17:30 UT 16mm radian showed a bright star like center similar to my obs of the 3rd November but not as prominent..
Comet C2012 V2 LINEAR 02:40 AEST 16:UT
Small elongated faint oval brighter toward the middle
No tail,no other detail. Mag 11.5.
Comet C/2012 S1 ISON
03:57 =17:57UT Altitude18°
Not visible in 15x65 bino's
Found with 16"scope ,13mm nagler just before dawn, as it was obscured by a tree.
Bullet shaped haze much brighter toward the middle,
Shape gave hint of a tail in moments of better seeing.
6mm radian gave a much clearer view of coma which was two tone,center gold, outer grey.
Bright star above,mag 9.9
Obs finished at 04:05=18:05 UT
Very satisfying nights comet observing.
Cheers
