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Originally Posted by Greg Bryant
Totally agree, here. While most supernovae are being discovered by automated telescopes (much like comets), amateurs are still making the rare visual discovery. Here in the Southern Hemisphere, there's much less competition, so make the most of it!
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Greg, I used to get upset thinking about the approaching possible end or huge reduction of human discoveries re comets particularly and the end of the romance of amateur human discovery. But then I realised it doesnt make any difference if 'Robby the Robot' finds it or some human to me personally. As for me the observations/imaging of the discovered comets is plenty enough to keep me busy some years. In fact the amount of effort required of a human to find a comet visually is close to ridiculous (1000's of hours per comet in some cases) Not to mention the fact that humans used to tend to find them visually when they were at their brightest or even past their brightest and near or around perihelion - and by the time an orbit is worked out and released its nearly all over. I love the huge buffer the automated surveys give the average basic observer - by discovering them way in advance and at mag 17 or something crazy - having an orbit worked out long before they are at their best possibly. Also how many nice comets were missed by visual observers? over the years?.
I note that some modern amateur discovery now typically involves systems close to being automated surveys anyway - the lines are getting very blurred! Certainly not a lot of people doing it the old fashioned way visually??! Dont get me wrong I am barracking for the amateur human hunters/discoverers number one (I like these guys a lot!) - but not at the cost of missing out on an early warning and orbit/dates just so someone can be immortalised and a handful of people on the inside get to see it exclusively before it fades. Also it is better for earth generally if there is any threat of a possible impact I would think, to know much further in advance?.
Kearn