Lovejoy in Melbourne?

[niko]

Anyone having any luck in Melbourne? I went west out along the calder highway this morning - good view of the SE horizon though plenty of skyglow. There was also a lot of horizon based cliud so didn't see anything.

Anyone got a better suggestion as to where to head to get a good view?

cheers

niko

[TinyBlueDot]

Hi Niko
We Melbournites haven't been having much luck with the comet.....
The cloud may be back for tonight as well, too. :(
We're heading to Sydney to visit rello's and plan to leave Melb. around midnight/1AM and hope to setup somewhere on one of the roadside stops on the Hume - as long as the East/SE is not blocked by the Dividing Range, we should be ok. I remember when Halleys was here I'd stopped somewhere just before Seymour, and the sky was nice and dark - though there were hills to the East.
Maybe head down south, Berwick way?? Think you'd be past the hills then, and Melbourne's glow would be behind you.
Gee, I'm envious of those who've seen/photographed it....
Good luck
John D

[danielsun]

Hey Niko, I woke up early this morning to try take a snap of it but all clouded over plus my place is probably too polluted to see anything with the neighbors house in the way and city lights so I was thinking of wizzing up to visit Ken (if he's available) for the night at the Snake Valley club house to try take a snap maybe sometime just after Xmas.

[AdamH]

I was out this morning between 03:30 and 04:30, but couldn't see anything by eye. I was hoping that even though it was due to rise at 03:30 the tail would already be risen, as it looks quite large in the photos.
Couldn't see anything.

Is it visual or only something we expect to see in a camera?

Adam

[swannies1983]

Adam, were you looking through a lot of skyglow? It should still be visible to the naked eye. It's brighter than the milky way. Around 4-4.15 is probably the optimal time as it's high enough without too much twilight. I assume it's fading but not sure how fast.

[xcoupeb]

niko,adam i was out at pearcedale at 3.30 this morning and could see it fairly easily. i could just make out the tail as i was driving to the spot and after a couple of minutes in the darkness was very easy to make out. i stayed for 45 mins and got some good shots 2 of which ive posted in the terrestrial forum. where i was was very dark and i can see if there is too much sky glow it would be hard to see cause when i got home i couldnt see any of it

[AdamH]

Thanks xcoupeb, I am only a few kms from Pearcedale. At 3:30 it seemed pretty dark, and not much skyglow, but by 04:30 there was lots of glow.
Where did you drive to to see it?

[xcoupeb]

just on baxter tooradin rd past fisheries rd there is a side street with a good view of the horizon