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 (Andrew)]

Originally Posted by gregbradley

I was hoping to image these comets tonight.

Does anyone know their current locations?

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 (Andrew)]

Originally Posted by 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?

This is the format TheSky wants

http://www.minorplanetcenter.net/iau.../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 (Andrew)]

Originally Posted by 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, 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 (Grant)]

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]

Originally Posted by 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.

Thanks very much Grant.

Greg.