Nice one Meade expert. I got this one a few weeks ago at around mag 9. Tonight is shaping up ok so far so i might revisit it. Love that green glow, it's a beauty!
I managed to get a view of this comet last night around 10:55pm (local), this is my first comet since Halley's!!!
It was V low in the sky, so seeing wasn't great and it appeared as an almost inperceptable smudge against the black sky.
Wasn't visible through my 32mm and my 24-8mm zoom gave best views at about 18mm - there was a definate improvement with my 15mm, maybe that was because there was less 'glass' between me and the comet.
I'm hoping as the month progresses that I'll be able to show it to the kids, but the moon might have other ideas about that!!
Caught a glimpse (in between clouds) this morning at 1.30am through 12 x 60 binoculars...... only just, it would have been hard to find if it was not in the midle of the southern cross. It should be near the jewel box tonight. I hope the weather is clearer so I can try and get an image.
I tried to catch this comet around 12:30am this morning with 7x50 binos. From my location it is still not visible with binos and requires a telescope for viewing
Last edited by Shark Bait; 19-01-2013 at 10:39 AM.
Hi all - check this out for the progress of the comet through the Southern Cross, should be a fair guide for E Australia (bit different further west). I prepared it using Starry Night as a guide. http://i727.photobucket.com/albums/w...thernCross.jpg
I couldn't find it with the binoculars at 11.00 pm last night, I think the moonlight was still washing it out, so I think much later in the night will be better. Looking clear here at the moment and its Saturday night.
Great animation. Had a squizz about 15 mins ago with 20X70 binos. It is none too bright being just a bit brighter than background. Skies here a bit hazy at the moment probably because of smoke drifting over from Oz.
Cloudy here in Brisbane the last few days so grrrrr haven't been able to take a look.
I've found a fabulous link showing easy to use finder charts from now thru the upcoming months tracking the comet's speedy progress thru our skies (what pace!)
Mark February 14th down on your calenders for a visual/photographic feast, as comet Lemmon will come within 4 degrees of the Small Megellanic Cloud (a naked eye satellite galaxy of the Milky Way) & 47Tuc- the second largest & brightest globular cluster in our skies & visual candy just on its own!
Quote:
Even better news still, recent observations of Comet Lemmon show it to be already about half a magnitude brighter than previously predicted and based on the current brightening, the comet should reach naked eye brightness during the first week of February. It is now looking promising that Comet Lemmon may peak at magnitude 3.0 on or around March 21, with an ion tail several degrees in length. Perihelion then follows on March 24, when this icy rock will be 0.7313 AU (109.4 million kms or 68.0 million miles) from the Sun.
