Comet 15P Finlay

[StarSapling]

With all the attention being paid to Lovejoy, I had forgotten about the other comet currently visible in the evening sky, so I took a look at it last night.

1/19/2015 - seeing good - trans fair - obs fair

20x80 Bins

Pisces:

15P Finlay - comet - Much fainter and smaller than Lovejoy, but easily swept up in indicated area - With averted vision, a distinct core, halo and short tail, pointing east, could be discerned - I’m sure it would have appeared more impressive if it had been located in a different area of the sky.  As is, it is located in a portion of the sky that falls within the light dome of Tucson to my west/southwest

[YKSE]

Thanks for the heads up  , just praying for one clear night in the coming day.

[Mark at Beaufort]

With a clear sky, even with the Moon, it might be worth having a go at this comet tonight. After its outburst going to mag7 on the 16th January it should drop by 0.5mag by the end of the month.

Should be easy to find tonight so I will give it a go. Attached finder chart produced in Stellarium.

[John]

I think I've just picked 15P Finlay up Mark. Just about visible as a small fuzzy star in the 8x50 finder. Looks like a minature and dimmer version of Lovejoy Q2 with my 12" dob. Benefits from some magnification - not huge even at 106x.

Thanks for the heads up and the chart !

[David Smith]

Did try to see this the other day but clouds got in the way. Well done for catching it.

[Mark at Beaufort]

Well the forecast for tonight on all websites showed total clear skies. Unfortunately it has been totally cloudy so I did not get a chance to see Comet 15P/Finlay.

Well done John I am glad that someone got it.

[John]

Thanks Mark. It clouded over for a bit between 8 and 9:30 pm but it's quite clear again here now. Perhaps things will improve for you again ?

[mjpfc]

Thanks chaps, I will stay out after my next Venus watch (Just getting high enough now to catch with the scope at home)

Clear skies,   Mick

[mjpfc]

Spent a lot of time looking for it in the wrong position last night, unsuprisingly it failed to show.

I then made a tactical descision to look in the correct part of the sky (call me reckless) and just to the

slightly upper right (Newt view so slightly below left) of the pattern of 4 stars that make up 22 piscium,

I spent about 20 minutes examining what I Thought was a barely discenable faint little smudge.

I ended up Totally convinced that I may possibly have perhaps seen a rumour of a Comet there.

The sky was Icy, and the moon was high and bright making for a milky/low contrast view, so unfortunatey

positively-perhaps was the best I was ever going to get.

At least I could make out the sky, which does not look on tonight at all.

Regards, Mick

[John]

Nice one Mick

Looking in the right part of the sky is a great tip

Comet positions the sky can be hard to track though. I've come across some charts for Lovejoy Q2 that are way out ! 

[Dave In Vermont]

My SkyX is showing it at Magnitude 13.29. So I don't know about using an 8 X 50mm finder for it. Assuming my updated/fixed software is on target.

Good luck,

Dave

[mjpfc]

When it first showed up it got dubbed "Comet Fiddly" and so it has proven to be

Mick