With all the interesting images and animations for Commet Lemmon, I set about securing a visual observation using my Vixen ED103S on a Vixen Porta Mount.
I tried on the 25th when Lemmon was expected to be approx 0.9 deg NE of Alpha Muscae. Seeing was 4/5 and transparency 6/7 but with the 90% full moon high in the north. I found a slightly fuzzy star like object that appeared to be in approximately the right position. I was unable to confirm the observation, so took note of the position and nearby stars.
Last night seeing was 5/5 and transparency 6/7 but now with a full moon. The slightly fuzzy star like object that I had noted on the 25th was no longer there. So I had seen Lemmon - success!
Now that I knew what I was looking for I found Lemmon relatively easily last night approximately 0.9 deg West of Delta Muscae.
So, a successful search - quite pleasing.
I managed to get my first look last night, 27th Jan. I noted down rough RA and Dec from Stellarium and then star hopped from Delta Muscae with my 10" dob. My recent dabbling with variable star observing has definitely been a help in getting more skilled at this.
I was hampered as you were by the rising full moon. I would say the comet looked a little like a very faint globular cluster, but I verified there were no globs in the area I was looking at from my atlas.
Found it tonight. Just as the moon was rising it was an easy catch in the 9x50 finder.
In the 20" it was a very clear slightly oval nebulous haze. It was sitting virtually on a mag 8 star which made the nucleus very hard to find. Will have another look in an hour or so and see if it has moved.
Had another look. After only 30 mins had clearly moved away from the star. Nucleus is much clearer and halo is now rounded rather tha oval so I assume that shape was more an effect of the star.
I grabbed the 15x70 binos and it is really clear in those.
A group of us (Astro Soc Tasmania) looked at comet Lemmon. Despite some moonlight (low 1st quarter) and smoke haze we clearly saw the tail in 8" and 10" newtonians. It could be traced for about 1 deg. This was a pleasant surprise as I'd observed it on the morning of 16th feb and only saw an elogation of the coma. It is still much smaller and fainter than 47 Tuc, but spotable as a slightly fuzzy star in 8x50 finders.
Yes, Comet lemon is definitely improving visually. On the 15th with good seeing and transparency, I could see the tail with averted vision using a 4 inch refractor.
As an aside, last night I was viewing Comet Lemon with 7X50 binoculars at approx 11.50 pm whilst waiting to see If I could see the reappearance of Ganymede when 2 satelites passed through the field of view. They were approx 1 deg apart and one was following the other as they moved west to east. They were eventually lost in the haze toward the east.
