C/2009 R1 McNaught

[astroron (Ron)]

No Luck again this morning

[Liz]

Yes, had another look today, but such a small window of opportunity (prob 5.15 - 5.30ish), as it sinks into the murkiness of the light horizon. Well down from Gamma Andromeda, and prob heading into Perseus in the next 2 days, and just about out of my line of sight.
Took quite a few shots, but not as good as yday, I couldnt even see it today - its lower and the Moon is lower = zilch!!
My images still showed a faint green patch.
Did have a look through scope, but a lot of trouble getting scope away from trees, getting stuck in sand, trying to go slowly so as not to wake the neighbours or their dogs ..... and by the time I found the comet it was getting light, so couldnt see the tail.

Bad luck Ron.
Ooh, take care Chris.

[Outbackmanyep]

This is what it's looking like from the Northern hemisphere!

http://www.nightskyhunter.com/Sky%20Events%20Now.html

[Liz]

Originally Posted by Outbackmanyep

This is what it's looking like from the Northern hemisphere!

http://www.nightskyhunter.com/Sky%20Events%20Now.html

Oh to take photos like that, or even to have the equipment to take photos like that, just beautiful!!

[Outbackmanyep]

Well it's officially gone for me! But Liz if you want to try for another comet your best bet is 81P/ Wild or C/2006 W3 Christensen. You will need a dark sky to find them easily! I can find them both with my 32mm Televue Plossl and 10" f/5 dob. They are "faintish" but still bright as comets go, neither have tails so look for a diffuse patch of light.

[Liz]

Originally Posted by Outbackmanyep

Well it's officially gone for me! But Liz if you want to try for another comet your best bet is 81P/ Wild or C/2006 W3 Christensen. You will need a dark sky to find them easily! I can find them both with my 32mm Televue Plossl and 10" f/5 dob. They are "faintish" but still bright as comets go, neither have tails so look for a diffuse patch of light.

We have our group meet this Sat night at a dark site, so will check them out.
It will give me comet EP a nice workout. Yes, a 32mm Televue Plossl!!

[Outbackmanyep]

Righty-o! Sounds great!

I had to put up with the high winds and 3 degrees temperature last night, at it again tonight! Thank god for clear skies!

[erick (Eric)]

Originally Posted by Rob_K

So we southerners will be relying on you as our eyes-on-the-skies!!

There is no hope for we southerners seeing it, as it brightens further, is there? Seems too far north from here?

[Rob_K]

Originally Posted by erick

There is no hope for we southerners seeing it, as it brightens further, is there? Seems too far north from here?

Don't give up on it yet Eric - it's gone for us, but will be back in end of July-early August, fading off unfortunately.

Alan Hale wrote this:
"After perihelion Comet McNaught should become visible from the southern hemisphere around the beginning of August; it will be in western Hydra and possibly around 7th or 8th magnitude. It travels towards the south-southeast over the subsequent weeks and months, through Antlia, Vela, and Centaurus, and by the end of October is in southern circumpolar skies; by that time it will likely have faded beyond the range of visual detectability. For what it's worth, the comet passes within one degree of the south celestial pole shortly after mid-January 2011."
http://www.earthriseinstitute.org/coms47.html

Here's a good site too:
http://www.cometography.com/lcomets/2009r1.html

Cheers -

[Outbackmanyep]

10P Tempel is a nice object at the moment, albeit fuzzy and roundish.

I had 6 comets on my list and observed 5 of them, H2 Vales being the faintest beyond my limit with the 10", so it'd have to be fainter than 14.5 mag.