Anyone know current RA and Dec of Comet Garradd and Elenin?

[gregbradley]

I was hoping to image these comets tonight.

Does anyone know their current locations?

Greg.

[mithrandir]

As long as you load a current ephemeris Stellarium or CdC or C2A or TheSky will all tell you.

http://ssd.jpl.nasa.gov/horizons.cgi

Ephemeris Type : OBSERVER
Target Body : Comet C/2010 X1 (Elenin)
Observer Location : Sydney Australia ( 151°16'59.9''E, 33°54'59.8''S )
Time Span : discrete time(s)=2011-08-23
Table Settings : QUANTITIES=1-4,8-10,19,20,23,24,27,33
Display/Output : plain text
*********************************** *********************************** *********************************** *********************************** *********************************** *********************************** *********************************** **************
Date__(UT)__HR:MN:SC.fff R.A._(ICRF/J2000.0)_DEC R.A.__(a-apparent)__DEC dRA*cosD d(DEC)/dt Azi_(a-appr)_Elev a-mass T-mag N-mag Illu% r rdot delta deldot S-O-T /r S-T-O PsAng PsAMV GlxLon GlxLat
*********************************** *********************************** *********************************** *********************************** *********************************** *********************************** *********************************** **************
$$SOE
2011-Aug-23 00:00:00.000 *m 12 13 01.77 -02 31 50.9 12 13 37.67 -02 35 44.3 89.84496 -36.9889 75.2075 25.1442 2.340 8.73 14.93 74.536 0.659480026202 -26.8728057 1.15578757544928 -35.7449139 34.6257 /T 60.6167 114.894 120.232 284.085335 58.929529
$$EOE
*********************************** *********************************** *********************************** *********************************** *********************************** *********************************** *********************************** **************
Ephemeris Type : OBSERVER
Target Body : Comet C/2009 P1 (Garradd)
Observer Location : Sydney Australia ( 151°16'59.9''E, 33°54'59.8''S )
Time Span : discrete time(s)=2011-08-23
Table Settings : QUANTITIES=1-4,8-10,19,20,23,24,27,33
Display/Output : plain text

*********************************** *********************************** *********************************** *********************************** *********************************** *********************************** *********************************** **************
Date__(UT)__HR:MN:SC.fff R.A._(ICRF/J2000.0)_DEC R.A.__(a-apparent)__DEC dRA*cosD d(DEC)/dt Azi_(a-appr)_Elev a-mass T-mag N-mag Illu% r rdot delta deldot S-O-T /r S-T-O PsAng PsAMV GlxLon GlxLat
*********************************** *********************************** *********************************** *********************************** *********************************** *********************************** *********************************** **************
$$SOE
2011-Aug-23 00:00:00.000 *m 20 10 22.30 +18 18 12.5 20 10 55.92 +18 20 32.6 -148.023 26.99557 181.7881 -74.4192 n.a. 9.58 12.10 97.742 2.250992959503 -15.6705534 1.39059639040390 -0.0785033 138.6158 /T 17.2839 134.278 141.190 58.406436 -8.171676
$$EOE
*********************************** *********************************** *********************************** *********************************** *********************************** *********************************** *********************************** **************

[gregbradley]

That's very helpful. Thanks for that.

I tried to input the text file into the Sky but it seems to want comet data in a certain format file - .cmt.

Any suggestions on how you import the ephermeris into the Sky?

Greg.

[mithrandir]

This is the format TheSky wants

http://www.minorplanetcenter.net/iau/Ephemerides/Comets/Soft06Cmt.txt

but you should be able to down load it - "Data" -> "Comets and Minor Planets" -> From the web "Observable"

[riklaunim]

Stellarium 0.11 can download comet ephemerids and show them on the sky.

[gregbradley]

I am getting for my location (Kurrajong NSW) RA 20 10 22.29 Dec +18 18 12.5 but when I slew there I don't see anything. I moved the scope around that point a bit but nothing.

Something's wrong there.

Greg.

[mithrandir]

Greg, all of Stellarium, CdC and TheSky agree that at 22:30 AEST Garradd should have been at 20:08:10.26+18:23:52.5 moving north and west.

2.5 deg PA116 from Gamma Sge
1.4 deg PA156 from Eta Sge

I'm not that far from you as the crow flies. Here's a chart for the next few days, heading towards M71.

[gregbradley]

I found it. Thanks for your help Andrew.

I regenerated the JPL map with more accurate lat/long for my location and it was at that new lat/long.

Its quite bright really.

I managed to get some images of it in one LRGB pass and then the clouds came over!

Greg.

[Gem]

Probably too late to help you, but...
At 23:04 tonight from Canberra Comet Garradd was at 20hr 8' 37.9" +18 25' 8". That is based off my own observing the comet and then hitting the "GET RA DEC" key on the controller. :)

[gregbradley]

Thanks very much Grant.

Greg.