New comet C/2015 G2 (Master)

[cometcatcher]

Hi guys, there's a new morning comet only recently discovered. About mag 9 ish I think. It's actually only a couple of degrees from 88P / Howell.

On the morning of April 20 it will be very close to the Helix nebula. Might be a good photo opportunity.

Over the next few weeks it will get closer to both Earth and Sun, possibly reaching magnitude 6 (fingers crossed).

[MortonH]

Nice one, Kevin. Hadn't heard about this one yet but sounds like it's worth tracking down over the next few weeks.

[cometcatcher]

Thanks Morton. Being a very early morning comet at the moment may put a few people off, but by mid May it will swing over to the western sky just after sunset for those with a low western horizon.

[Camelopardalis]

Nice catch Kevin, thanks for the heads up :thumbsup:

[cometcatcher]

Thanks Dunk. Good luck with it.

[algwat]

Good get , Kevin.

Commiserations to RobK, missed t buy that much...chief. 8)
Got too check those fuzzies in wide fields, its the only way to beat Terry Lovejoy to a comet find...8)

I'll be waiting for a western sunset show if it holds up...

kind regards, Alan

[cometcatcher]

Thanks Alan. Yes Terry just missed it also. The clouds down that way didn't help.

[Camknox]

Awesome stuff! Here's to hoping it gets some nice brightness. How big is this one? Looks on the small side?

[cometcatcher]

It is a bit small at the moment. It should get bigger and brighter over the next few weeks.

[Rob_K]

Great shot Kevin! :thumbsup:



Hehe, a miss is as good as a mile Al! ;) To tell you the truth, I was over the moon to find a pre-discovery image and it was only when people started sending commiserations that I kinda twigged that I might have missed out on something! :question: :doh: :ashamed:



I think that was the only shot ever likely to be in the locker Al and it's been fired! Can't beat Terry, he's a legend. :thumbsup:

Cheers -

[ralph1]

I looked around the internet but couldn't find any finder charts for it. Can someone point the way?
Thanks in advance.
Ralph.

[gaa_ian]

Here is some detail from the Southern Comets Homepage (http://members.westnet.com.au/mmatti/sc.htm)

[cometcatcher]

Comet 2015 G2 (MASTER) April 16 (UT). I've push processed this one really hard to try and squeeze out a tail. There's a bit of a trace there but the image is very noisy. There almost seems to be an antitail lower right, though at this point I think it's probably pareidolia - wishful thinking.

[Rob_K]

Nice job again Kevin! :thumbsup: Attached is my most recent effort, from the morning of 16 April. Can't see it? :shrug: Well, I needed a fog filter LOL, got nothing of the comet! :rolleyes: The skies had been quite good in the previous evening, naturally. Raining now and not looking good here for a while. Keep up the good work!

Cheers -

[cometcatcher]

Should be 1 degree 22 minutes away from the Helix nebula this coming morning. Might try it with the ED80, clouds permitting.

[cometcatcher]

Clouds cleared off just long enough to get a pic this morning. Taken with an ED80 and CLS filter. Will be even closer tomorrow morning.

[bkm2304]

Great catch, Kevin. This was a bright little beggar on discovery, about 11-12 mag. Unusual nowadays for it to get so bright before the robots got it.

Richard

[cometcatcher]

Yes it seems to have come out of nowhere Richard.

[Camelopardalis]

Very cool Kevin!

[cometcatcher]

Thanks Dunk.

[cometcatcher]

This mornings pic.

[algwat]

another nice image, Kevin.

That K-5 camera makes good pics. good combo on the newt.
Are those the colors straight out of camera?
How much color processing have you done?

kind regards, Alan

[cometcatcher]

Hi Alan, here's 1 sub from the set. No stretching of any sort, straight out of the camera.

[Ross G]

Great capture Kevin.

I'm definitely going to check it out.

Thank you!

Ross.

[Rob_K]

Here's my shot of C/2015 G2 (MASTER) and the Helix Nebula, 17:49, 20 April 2015 UT (morning of 21 Apr our time). Canon 650D, 200mm lens, 10 x 60 sec, ISO 6400, F/5.6. Reduced-size crop from a larger image. Where are the evening comets? :P

Cheers -

[cometcatcher]

Not many bright ones about for us in the SH Rob. There's what... 88P and this one? Brightest ones anyway.

Comet 2015 G2 (MASTER) this morning April 21 (UT). Found it's tail. I thing I also see a faint disconnect along a bit.

[glenc]

That is a great image Kevin.
I looked at Comet Master from North Casino, NSW with my 16" reflector this morning at 5am and was impressed by its size and magnitude. I suspect I saw a tail. The comet was also visible in my 50mm finder scope. I estimate the comet was magnitude 8. My comparison star was mag 7.55 HD216209 which was only 27' away. Attached is a map from Guide 9.0 showing its path.

[cometcatcher]

Nice obs Glen. Yes there's a tail there this morning.

[doppler]

Nice capture Kevin, looks like it's warming up nicely. Looking at Glens chart I might just be able to catch it between the trees.
Rick

[cometcatcher]

Get it now Rick before it drops too low and moonlight interferes. I lose it from the east, second week in May. It pops out in the west after that but my western sky is mayhem with lights and trees.

[geolindon]

Well done Kevin!! Very nice indeed!

[doppler]

I'm on the other side of town, so my east, south-east has the light glow and my west is dark and no trees. Did you have to stretch the last image more than the previous one to get the tail or has it developed that much in a couple of nights?
Rick

[tilbrook@rbe.ne]

Good work again Kevin!!:thumbsup::thumbsup:

I've been keeping an eye on your thread, masters is developing nicely.
Hope it keeps doing so when it comes up in the evening sky.

Cheers,

Justin.

[MortonH]

Beautiful!

[cometcatcher]

Thanks all. Keep an eye on it. The tail is changing daily. About the same amount of stretching Rick.

[cometcatcher]

This mornings G2.

[glenc]

Another great image Kevin. The small galaxy above the comet is mag 14.6 PGC 70024.

[cometcatcher]

Thanks Glen. I did look it up but was too lazy to mark it. ;)

[tel.lekatsas]

Hi Kevin,

Nice catch G2 + Helix (Kevin and Rod).

I managed to image G2 this morning. It's showing a nice long tail.
3 x 300 second stack luminance only & inverted image.

Thought I'd add to your thread rather than start another.

Tel

[cometcatcher]

Thanks Tel. That's a beaut tail you have there!

[cometcatcher]

This mornings pic.

[tel.lekatsas]

Great stuff again Kevin. G2 is developing a nice tail. Hopefully it will keep on brightening.

Tel

[cometcatcher]

It does seem to be getting brighter! From this morning.

[astronobob]

Very nice going since you started this thread Kevin, some grouse images, specially with the Helix aswell :thumbsup:
All the best

[Rob_K]

Great stuff Kevin! Here's mine from this morning, just pleased to get some sign of the tail! Canon 650D, 200mm lens, 6 x 60 sec, ISO 6400, F/5.6, crop.

Also did a visual obs, m1 = 7.6. Looks nice through binoculars with quite a large coma in averted vision (~8 arcminutes).

Anyway, keep up the good work!

Cheers -

[cometcatcher]

Thanks Bob and Rob. You captured a nice long tail there Rob! Cloudy and rainy here now.

[cometcatcher]

May 01 (UT). My last pic of Comet C/2015 G2 (MASTER) before the full Moon interferes. I was thinking of doing a wider shot, but the 8" was setup and ready to go so went with the same setup I've used since the beginning of it's observations.

Unfortunately the Moon will interfere with the rest of it's remaining time in the morning sky, unless one can see down right down to the horizon, which I can't. Next Moon free time for most will be when it swings over to the western sky in a couple of weeks.

[Camelopardalis]

Good one Kevin :thumbsup: it's got a nice tail on it.

[cometcatcher]

Thanks Dunk. I reckon it will be even better when in the western sky.

[cometcatcher]

C/2015 G2 (MASTER) May 02 (UT). Full Moon setting but dodged most of the moonlight I think as I left it as late as I could.

[cometcatcher]

From this morning in full moonlight.

[cometcatcher]

C/2015 G2 (MASTER) May06 1900UT. Moon interference, cropped. Tried a yellow filter for something different. Yellow rejects moonlight well but it also rejects ion tails. I think the YG filter is better for gas comets. It was an interesting experiment.

[doppler]

Nice work Kevin, you are really following this one down into the dawn sky. When is it due to be visible in the evening sky?

[cometcatcher]

Hi Rick, from Mackay, May 14 at 6:38 it's 10 degrees above the SW horizon and climbs higher each night after to a max of 31 degrees on May 28.

[cometcatcher]

Bright tail this morning! C/2015 G2 (MASTER) May 07 1900UT.
Astrobin ---> http://astrob.in/178625/0/

[geolindon]

yes, very very nice work Kevin!

Thanks for the posts, i have followed with great interest from africa and looking foward to being home n getting a look at it for myself ☺
L

[glenc]

The attached Guide 9 map shows Comet Master in the western evening sky at 7pm on 15 May and its path till 29 May. The zenith is up.

Guide 9. http://www.projectpluto.com/

[kkara4]

Excellent work Kevin! Is it expected to be brighter once it pops back out in the West?

What are your thoughts in terms of your obs vs predicted light curve?

[cometcatcher]

Thanks Lindon and all.

Krishan, yes it should be brighter in the west as it will be closer to the Sun and Earth. How bright... guessing mag 5 ish? It's already in the high 6's.

A pic from this morning. It might be my last from the East.

[algwat]

My Starry night settings show this comet is around 10 degrees at sunset in my west. Just waiting on the clouds to clear and it to be above my fence line in the next day or two....

regards, Alan

[cometcatcher]

Should be visible in binoculars in a couple of days Alan. The west is a problem for me. I might have to go portable with the ED80 or something.

[h0ughy]

just catching up with this - you have done some great work Kevin, some great comet images

[cometcatcher]

Thanks Dave.

[algwat]

My turn, here is my efforts from last evening. Very faint tail, 45 sec subs.

A small avi here... http://cometal-comets.blogspot.com.au/2015/05/comet-master.html

regards, Alan.

[astronobob]

Hey Kevin, how this Comet Masters looking now with the turn of the New Moon, is it too close to twilight and heading to the sun, do we need to wait for the evenings now ? ?
Cheers on the great thread :thumbsup:

[cometcatcher]

Nice ones Alan!

It's staying in the west now Bob. Some finder charts here. http://cometchasing.skyhound.com/comets/2015_G2.pdf

Rotate your head 90 degrees to the left since they were written by silly northern hemisphere people. :P

It's very close to M79 tonight.

[glenc]

Master is 1.6 degrees below M79 tonight, down and a bit to the left.

[astronobob]

Thanx Kevin, it looks to be slowing down somewhat with those chart dates & relative locations during rest of this month & no doubt lose its brightness over that time ?
Also a bit risky weather wise here for the next week or so for a capturing attempt, will keep an eye on things & hope for a freak clear evening or possibly after the full moon - would like to try the C8 & hyperstar rig on it !
Looking on with interest . . . .:thumbsup:

[cometcatcher]

The weather cleared for just long enough to get a shot tonight! Should have used the ED100 though as it was in light polluted skies.

[algwat]

Nice color in your image Kevin.

My efforts for tonight, all at ISO 800 30x30sec
The middle green is one is a single 30sec frame.
Also have some spectra info to play with
regards, Alan

[cometcatcher]

Good stuff Alan. It sure is moving fast at the moment.

[doppler]

At least it is climbing fast into the darker sky, hopefully the clouds clear again and we get an other go at it before the moon gets too bright.

Pushing the iso a bit but here's my attempt from last night. 3 x 20 sec exposures at iso 3200 with the 10" f4.8 newt.

[cometcatcher]

Nice one Rick, you have some tail showing.

May 20 0845UT with the ED100 refractor poked out the window.

[doppler]

A window would be nice, all I have that is usable astronomy wise is one door facing north, I have to go outside for the rest.
It wasn't raining but my gear was getting wet tonight? Must be that climate change thingy.:lol:

[tilbrook@rbe.ne]

Bit late posting this one.

Masters from Saturday 16-05-2015.

Showing a tail disconnect.

Cheers,

Justin.

[doppler]

Very nice capture. :thumbsup:

[Larryp]

Nice image, Justin

[cometcatcher]

That's a beaut disconnect Justin!

The humidity has been very high the last few days Rick. I can't image outdoors with it. Even the fly screens in the house were running with water.

[tilbrook@rbe.ne]

Thanks Rick!



Thanks Laurie!



Thanks Kevin!

Nothing like humidity to ruin telescopes!

Michael and Angela Mattiazzo called in for dinner last night on their way back from the Alpana astro camp.
Michael said he traced out 6 degrees of tail visually under dark skies.

Hope to image Masters tonight if the clouds stay away.

Cheers,

Justin,

[cometcatcher]

Let us know how you go tonight Justin. I only have a stubby tail tonight but conditions were poor also.

I braved many bad things outside to get this image lol.

[tilbrook@rbe.ne]

No luck unfortunately!!:shrug:

Clouds just won't go away.:mad2:

I'll try again Friday.

Cheers,

Justin.

[doppler]

No tail in my pics either, do you think maybe it has turned or stopped jetting?
It was a bad viewing night though, there must have been a lot of water vapour or dust in the atmosphere, the whole sky turned pink at sunset not just the clouds.

[cometcatcher]

There was a disconnection event a couple of days ago (see Justin's pic) and since then the tail has been weak.

The sky was too poor at Sunset tonight so I didn't bother.

[tilbrook@rbe.ne]

It's been challenge to do any imaging with almost constant cloud.:rolleyes:

But managed a whole 33 minutes on masters tonight. 27/05/2015.:)

Had trouble stacking in DSS as it passed very close to bright star making comet registration difficult.
Ended up using Registax 5 to stack 14 x 60 sec exposures.

Even though this is taken in moon light I think Masters has faded.

Cheers,

Justin.

[cometcatcher]

That's still a brilliant image Justin. Yes MASTER has faded somewhat and the tail is much fainter.

I barely got it with a 135mm lens tonight.

[cometcatcher]

Full Moon has washed out the tail this evening, but I was bored and needed a comet fix anyway. More details in pic.

[cometcatcher]

Pic from tonight. Full Moon present but it was low and the sky was cloud free. Comet G2 is now about Magnitude 8.

[doppler]

Looks like its still got a tail. I'll have a go tomorow night with the 10" before the moon rises, looks like we have a few clear nights ahead. :)

[cometcatcher]

Yes Rick, we will get a few clear days until the rot sets back in. ;)

[cometcatcher]

Tonight's piccy. Only got 5 minutes before cloud rolled in.

[cometcatcher]

C/2015 G2 (MASTER) June 4 0830UT. This is the first night without Moon interference and the comet stands out much better.