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So much rain and cloud and then someone explained through binoculars I'd be looking for a blurry star, sadly through binoculars all stars are blurry with my eyesight, it's just the luck of the draw and finding the right blurry star. I did spend a couple of clear nights out with 2 pairs of binoculars and a camera on a tripod and with the aid of Stellarium I still couldn't see anything. I 'm starting to think this stuff is for people with better sight. Though our nights have been clear the past few days and I'm seriously thinking of taking 2 tripods up to a local lookout, one with 20x89999999999999999999999999999999 999996 binoculars, I wish, my cat was just saying "HI", 20x50 binoculars and another with my D810 and an 80-200 f2.8 ED Nikon lens and see if maybe I can get just a little lucky.
When would the comet be visible if I could find it (approximate evening time to start looking)?
Just after sunset the ice hasn't formed and I don't need a heater band or hair dryer for my lens but the hair dryers only work of mains power, something I won't have available at the lookout. I must design a low wattage unit one day to run off 12 volts with just enough heat and air flow (I have plenty of 5 and 12 volt fans and nichrome wire to make a suitable coil) to defrost my lenses if I take them out in the field and away from my house.
Next plan, 12 volt hair dryer I never use for my long hair, only for telescopes and camera lenses in our winters which drop down to minus 12 frequently but, we get the clearest, crispest skies through winter.
Lucky winter isn't here yet and it's not dropping below minus 4 on average.
As for my age, I tell everyone I'm four years off 60. If they want to assume that means I'm 56 I'm fine with that but it is the other way, I just don't confess to it too often.
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