Spectacular skies to start with...
I find 9P/Tempel 1 a fairly easy target in my 8" newt. Although it culminates
20-25 degree off my zenith. I've have logged it 17 times since the end of
May start of June (roughly 30hrs observing it). I wanted to spend allot of
time with it and see it under various conditions, which on a couple of
occasions have stopped me from nabbing it. Best views have been @ 85x
& 120x I tried with a 3.5mm XW @ 350x but "averted imagination" couldn't
even tease it out. I have found even with the brighter K4 Linear & Machholz
last year didn't take to kindly to high magnification.
I was able to locate 9P/Tempel 1 here (mid twilight) 2hrs 20 minutes after
impact 18:12pm local time. I confirmed that I did actually have it at 18:52pm.
When the coma became more noticeable as the sky darkened off. I couldn't
tell you the levels as I don't have the gear to measure such things. But I
have never been able to pick it up in during twilight prior to last night.
For me the noticeable change was in the nucleus and to a very slight degree
in it coma. I could easily pick out the nucleus using direct vision where
usually it's averted vision.
Unfortunately clouds came rolling in at 20:32 and that put an end to the
evening
...
The pic is me and my son watching it on NASA TV
Regards, CS
