2P Encke spotted! FINALLY!

[Outbackmanyep]

Hi all,
At precisely 18:13 tonight i spotted 2P/ Encke using my 10" dob at x39.
Following the comet as the sky has darkened i made it out at mag 7.7, dia of 3.2' and DC of 6.
The comet is very small and diffuse, it enhances well with a Swan band filter and nearly doubles the coma size visible. The coma appears circular in appearance, with a hint of elongation to the SW but it may have been atmospheric effects.
It was seen 6 degrees above my local horizon at the time of obs.
I have to thank my gf, Samantha, for being a good sport, sitting in the cold while i attempted the obs!

The comet will be a degree or so from Mercury the next 2 nights so that will make a good starting point!

Cheers! :thumbsup:

[cookie8]

Well done !! It sounded like a real challenge with it so low and sky not completely dark.

[renormalised]

It's a wonder you can find Encke, considering it's been through the wringer about 10 million times!!!!. It's a miracle it's got anything left to do any outgassing!!!.

[Outbackmanyep]

i am really thrilled to have finally seen this comet, it was a historically significant one which Rumker and Dunlop found from Parramatta Observatory all those years ago, of course they knew it was coming at the time! But it was a good feeling finding it!

It will be one degree from Mercury tonight so if you want to have a go look for a small 3' dia (at least) coma with a bright central condensation and fuzzy edges.

Cheers!

[Liz]

Woohoo!! Congrats Chris, well done. :thumbsup:
Mag 7.7 and close to Mercury may be doable, though havent a Swan band filter (I dont think :question:).

[mozzie]

well spotted chris

i was trying 65 gunn the other week viewed for more the an hour and i thought i had a glimpse with averted but only a very faint glimpse?????
have you spotted it

[Outbackmanyep]

Yeah Peter,
I have spotted 65P/ Gunn, it is quite small and diffuse and hard to find, currently it's around the mag 12's, i have a good dark sky to observe from, so if you can find a dark sky you will fare better. My last obs on it was this morning and i used a magnification of x83, it can be seen using averted vision but once you've found it you can see it with small bursts of direct vision.
You'd be doing well to find it!

[Outbackmanyep]

Hi Liz,
I know you have the same set-up as me, but you will spot it using the 32mm P, mind you it will be small, so look for a star-like object with a fuzzy halo around it, more or less circular in appearance but it could have a small tail, i didn't see one last night but i might tonight! :thumbsup:

[renormalised]

Won't be seeing much of anything tonight here....it's clouded over, again.

[Liz]

Yep, totally clouded out. Theres goes our public night at The Strand.

Thanks Chris, will be a nogo tonigth, but maybe tomorrow night??
You have made me buy a Lumicon comet filter today. ;) :thumbsup:

Good luck all!!

[mozzie]

i thought i was on it using my meade and starry night to track

while at astrofest with my 8"dobby found 10p tempel and also with 9x63 binos

[astroron]

Set the scope up especialy for the Comet,Bloody Big Black Cloud in the way
Now a white cloud:mad2:
Sky clear everywhere else:rolleyes:
Looks like I wont be able to try till Friday:(

[Liz]

Oh well, least you got the ISS Ron!!;)
Bring on Encke for friday. :thumbsup:

[astroron]

Pete, why didn't yo tell me about Encke, I am sure we would have seen it:(
I had forgotten all about:rolleyes:

[astroron]

Thanks Liz, Even in Moonlight if it is around mag seven it should be visible in the 16", as I can see M104 in twilight :astron::D

[Outbackmanyep]

2P/ Encke

2010 Aug 18.36 UT; m1= 8.4; Dia= 3'; DC= 5/6; 25cm L (x39)
No tail, coma diffuse with gradual concentration to centre, not quite stellar central condensation,coma appears very slightly elongated to SW.
Enhances well with Swan band filter, 5 degrees above local horizon at time of observation, moonlight affected.
Comp Star= TYC 263-668-1; Method= S; Cat= TJ


**The comet was first sighted tonight at 18:15 local time using averted vision. The central condensation had diffused a little, it did not jump out at me like it did last night as the c/c had a more stellar appearance. At x83 the coma showed no bright star-like point of light in the c/c. I also tried to observe the comet using 7x50B at 18.36 UT, the comet was 4 degrees above my local horizon and the obs was negative.

Cheers!

[Outbackmanyep]

Sorry to hear some of you were clouded out, it will hang around Mercury for the next few days, the comet will climb higher but the comet will be fading, the moon will be brightening and hopefully the clouds won't be a hindrance!

Liz, the Swan band filter will be a good asset to you,although it won't work on all comets. They work good on gassy comets and can be used as an indicator to tell wether a comet is throwing off more gas than dust.

Cheers!

[Blue Skies]

I'll add my congrats along with everyone elses. I've not managed to see it either, it never seems to be a good apparition whenever I've been keen. But there's always the next one...:thumbsup:

[gary]

Hi Chris,

Well found and thanks for the heads-up!

Best Regards

Gary

[Liz]

Clouds have gone, so will try for Encke tonight, as very close to Mercury!!

[mozzie]

no good for me to many trees to the west damn!!!!:sadeyes::sadeyes:

[Liz]

I havent got great views from home either, so will head out onto road with binoculars, and maybe take couple piccies. ;)

[mozzie]

mmmmm liz i forgot about them when the weather clears ill have a go!!!!!

[Liz]

No luck here, night turned to pea soup!!
Presently 23 dg, and 95% humidity ... could virtually see the fog oozing out of the ground. :help:

[astroron]

"Not tonight Josephine":cloudy:Rain.
Maybe tomorrow:shrug:

[Outbackmanyep]

2P/ Encke
2010 August 20.35 UT; m1= 9.0; Dia= 1.5'; DC= 5; 25cm L, (x39)
Coma slightly elongated to SW, no tail, moonlight/twilight affected, 6 degrees above local horizon, coma enhances well with Swan Band filter making the central condensation appear tighter but still not quite stellar.
Comp Star= TYC 4923-981-1; Method= S; Cat= TJ

[Liz]

Thanks for that Chris. :thumbsup:
I had to start work at 7pm, bugger, did try for a look before work, but too light. Will try Sunday if clear.

[astroron]

Observed Comet 2P/ Encke at 18:23 AEST with a 16"scope, 13mm Nagler, at an altitude of 13deg in Twilight.It just a faint non stellar blob, brighter towards one side.
It is hard to give a magnitude estimate using the the equipment I have and the brightness of the sky:shrug:
As the night got just a little darker more detail was seen a hint of maybe tail was glimpsed but was hard to tell against the background glow.
I also used a 21mm Plossl which though making the comet brighter there was less detail.
I observed it till 18:51 when it was just 6 degrees above the horizon and very close to the top of a hill which made it very difficult to observe due poor seeing.
I finished observing the comet sitting on the ground it was that low:)
I was pleased to have at least observed this comet:D, having missed out on Comet R1 McNaught:(
Cheers

[mozzie]

well spotted ron id also forgotten about it at astrofest.try tomorrow night with binos

[Liz]

Yeah, well done Ron!! :party:.
Great stuff to get a glimpse of these beautiful blobs. ;)

[CometGuy]

Was a really tough one to photograph as it was going down behind some of my trees (even after a bit of a last minutes prune). Low altitude and near full moon meant exposures were limited to 10sec.

The image is abt 1.2 x 1.0 degrees and was made with a C8 Hyperstar and QHY9. 15 x 10 Second exposures combined.

Terry

[jjjnettie]

well nabbed Terry!

[Rob_K]

Great shot Terry! :thumbsup: My effort tonight was meagre by comparison, just a widefield with piggybacked Canon 400D. Little green spot visible nonetheless.

http://i727.photobucket.com/albums/ww271/Rob_Kau/2P22Aug2010text.jpg

Very pleased to get anything after the recent spell of poor weather (tonight was just a short break in the clouds, forecast bad for the next week).

Cheers -

[Outbackmanyep]

Hi all,
Nice stuff Ron! Glad to see you got it.

Terry, thats a beautiful image! Well done!
Rob, great stuff, you keep those images coming in!

I haven't been able to image it at all as it was WAYYYYYY to windy the last few nights, i had clear skies but wasn't game to get my 8" out and image, my guiding would have been all over the place and it was a job just trying to keep my 10" from flying away!
It was a stiff breeze and i had my thermometer there reading 1 degree but the wind chill wasn't measured, my fingers swelled up when i got back into the warmth......
the things we do for a comet!

[Outbackmanyep]

2P/ Encke
2010 August 21.35 UT; m1= 8.8; Dia= 2.9'; DC= 4/5; 25cm L, (x39)
No tail, moonlight/twilight affected, 6 degrees above horizon.
Comp Star= TYC 4933-146-1; Method= S; Cat= TJ

[Liz]

Wow, great image Terry, what a beautiful tail!!

[CometGuy]

Better conditions tonight (Aug 26) meant that I could go to 25 second exposures (although these were close to saturation). This shot is 5 x 25 second exposures with the QHY9 + C8 Hyperstar. Over a degree of tail is visible in this view - however I could not find any trace of the comet in 15 x 70 binoculars.

Terry

[WadeH]

Well captured Terry. Is that a hint of a ion tail below the main (dust?) tail? :camera:

[Liz]

Beautiful image Terry!! Phew, am glad you didnt see it in binocs as I havent been able to either. Its still so light in that area, though comet is getting higher, and Moon is gone.
You are right Wade, there is a wider tail below, well spotted!!
Comet experts - how much longer will Encke be around at that magnitude?

[CometGuy]

Thanks Wade/Liz,

I tried a repro with 10 images instead of 5, cropped and enlarged 2x for this view. The ion tail is the straight thin tail. Where do you guys see the fainter tail?

Liz, the comet will be fading fast. It's a very elusive comet and requires a good dark transparent sky to be seen. Once upon a time (in the 1800's) it regularly got to naked eye brightness.

Terry

[Liz]

Thanks for that Terry, I had better get a move on with it. as been cloudy here for 2 days, clearing now, but pretty dense in the west.

In the first image you posted, I can see another tail below left of the main tail, using averted vision. In the 2nd image you have just posted, I cannot see it.

[astroron]

Tonight the Comet does not seem as bright as my last observation

[mozzie]

found it but faint in my 7x50 binos can set the dobbie up on front driveway tomorrow night for a better view.will report if able to see it.

on a different note did anybody spot the fire ball around 6.15pm tonight between mercury and saturn heading north to south with 3 broken pieces following it wow what a sight waiting for the comet!!!!!!!

[Liz]

Well done of Encke Mozzie!! A fireball as well, bargain. :thumbsup:

Fading already Ron? .... clouded out up here still. :sadeyes:

[mozzie]

set my little 8"dobbie up and found the little fuzzy,there was a faint blurrrrr low in western sky with a dirty atmosphere but after a hour or so viewing and atmosphere clearing the nucleus was brighter but no sign of a tail.stocked to see it lifted the little scope inside and if its clear tomorrow night ill have another look.

love chasing comets

[mozzie]

had another look tonight similar to last night.skies to the west much clearer no fire smog,was able to view for another half hour more as it had moved to the south west and was visable going down side large tree.

[Liz]

Oh, lucky you Mozzie!! Drizzle and cloud here. :sadeyes:

[Outbackmanyep]

The comet is fading slowly, it's much higher in the sky now and will still be an easy target in a 10" dob.

[mozzie]

viewed 10p temple last night in cetus easy visable with bright nucleus and some slight visable tail great sight easy target!!!!

[Outbackmanyep]

Hi Mozzie,
Great stuff!
10P and 2P are good targets, you should also try 103P below Great square of pegasus, it will hang around this region and is getting brighter, it's currently around mag 10.5 and has a small tail (CCD) from recent reports, i keep trying for it but keep getting clouded out!

Hopefully tonight i'll get some more obs in.

Cheers!

[Rob_K]

Yeah, 103P should be a good target, the further north you are the better. :thumbsup:

The CCD images do show a faint tail, but recent LRGB images show almost a completely different comet, with a large and diffuse green coma that the monochrome (essentially luminance?) CCD images aren't picking up. That pretty much ties in with some recent visual obs I've seen, of a large, faint diffuse object, up to 15 arcminutes in diameter.

Getting a bit low for me now against my hilly horizon (not really an issue with the weather the way it's been, LOL), but still have hopes even if I have to drive to a better northern horizon.

Saw 10P Tempel last night at low powers (23x) through a small sucker-hole - easy to see, nice object.

Nice obs Mozzie, good luck with it! :)

Cheers -

[Liz]

Alas, non stop cloud up here. :sad:
Well done Mozzie. :thumbsup:

[Liz]

We have a night at the Uni tonight with the astronomy students, and skies are clear at the moment!!
had a look on Stellarium and Encke is quite close to Venus, so should be reasonable easy to see, woohoo. Am yet to see it.