paulastro

Already had several telescopic views of the comet, but last evenings binocular view was probably the most enjoyable and briefest. I went out just before 9pm with my Nikon 10x50s. Still cloudy but it was thinner cloud in places. I almost immediately swept up Kochab, easily recognised by its beautiful orange colour. Moved the binocs just over a field width to the right and wow, there it was looking bright with a bright tail stretching away from the coma at a 45 degree angle. I wasn't expecting it to be so bright in the conditions, though no close stars visible to do a mag estimate. Some cloud almost immediately came across the comet, and the comets was still visible looking very ghostly. One more view glimpse in the open and it was gone as the cloud closed in. Brief, but so very magical.

I was observing up to 5.50 before cloud came in, but it should still be very favourable. I can't remember a better lunation for a very long time. https://stargazerslounge.com/topic/405698-janssen-on-moon-is-superbly-placed-now-exceptional-look-if-you-can/#comment-4342151

Sorry, it was 5.25pm when I was observing, not 6.25pm. Hopefully it will be as favourable for a little while yet.

Don't delay if you have a chance.

Thursday 5.25pm, fabulous lunation for Janssen never seen it better.

Perhaps best not 🤣.

I do get some amusement from threads like this, proponents of all types of scopes making out their favoured telescope is the best. And, if you don't agree trying to persuade others with different views to change their minds. Of course, they rarely will. Well, I have a Celestron Starsense Explorer 8inch Dob a Celestron C5 (yes a SC!) and an Altair 80 ED-R doublet. I enjoy using them all, and they all have advantages over the other two - and each a unique role. I'm not telling anyone what these are because you know what, it makes no difference at all what other people think. And yes, I sometimes sit back and enjoy looking at each one of them when it's raining and I can't use them 🤣.

Well done Stu. I'm hoping to see it again Wed night, weather looks promising at the moment.

👍 It sounds perfect!

Many thanks that's great, no need to send further info, I'd found this on FLO and thought it might be a contender so I'll order one. Many thanks for the quick response and taking the trouble to send some pics 🙂. Regards, Paul

I have bought the spotter version of this scope recently from a fellow SGL member and I want a Vixen-type finder shoe to replace the one supplied that holds the 6×30 finder close to the tube. The two holes on the curved tube are 3cm apart, I tried a WO shoe I had knocking around and it doesn't fit - its base is straight away. Anyway know of a suitable replacement that they know will fit? Many thanks.

Yes, that's the version I have 😊.

Many thanks wesdon. I must admit, the early hours are my favourite time for observing. I generally don't feel the cold until I'm back indoors again.

I was set up with the 8inch Starsense Explorer dob at 4.30am. Freezing with snow on the ground, poor and variable transpareny Within 2mts C2022/ E3 ZTF was centured in the field of the ES 24mm 68 deg eyepiece. Much the same as it was previously, around m6 by comparison with M13 and M92 globulars. Hazy looking nucleus within a coma larger than the extent of M13. Tail difficult in the hazy conditions. Changed to the Baader Mk111 to observe a few deep sky objects including M67, one of the oldest globular clusters, 5 billion yrs. Double Cluster, M3, Melotte 111, M53, double Cluster and NGC 457 (ET cluster) Cygnus was rising and I thought it would be fun to look at what are generally considered to be 'summer' objects. I had a look at Albireo, M29 and M39. Finally I looked at M27, the Dumbell - which looked rather ghostly from behind some haze. I must admit it seemed a little strange to be observing these object in freezing temperatures with ice and snow on the ground. 🥶 Started to pack up at 6am, good to see the comet again.

Very sad news, John was one of those people that, if he commented on one of your posts, your eyes lit up. You'd always know that his words would contain something of interest and value. Thank you for your contributions and helpfulness John, you'll be sorely missed. Sincere condolences to his family and friends.

Here's my first observation from Jan 17th. https://stargazerslounge.com/topic/405212-jan-17th-c2022-e3-ztf-first-view/#comment-4338255

Single frame and crop taken at 10.50am, 1/320 at 200 asa, Olympus E-M5 Mk11.

PS we are over 800 feet altitude, it was foggy until after 10 in Keighley and the surrounding valleys.

Sorry Mike, there might be a chance tonight or tomorrow - though I fear it may be even more cold 😱.

Pete. This is my observation from this morning. https://stargazerslounge.com/topic/405212-jan-17th-c2022-e3-ztf-first-view/#comment-4338164

At last a chance to observe E3. Alarm on for 4.30am, and outside with the 8inch StarSense Explorer Dob ready to go at 4.50am. Lying snow, very icey and -5, but clear. Transparency not great, but the best opportunity I've had. Thin crescent Moon low in the East. Switched on the SS Explorer App which has the comet in its data base, brought it up via search, pressed locate object, pushed the dob along the arrows leading to it on the phone's screen, looked in the eyepiece and there it was, taking all of a couple of minutes to locate. The comet, in the middle of the field, was immediately obvious, looking very much like an unresolved globular cluster. On closer inspection it had a spherical coma which was bigger than I expected in the 24mm 68 deg ES. As I became more dark adapted, there was a tenuous tail heading approximately toward the N. Its exact length was difficult to assertain due to its ephemeral nature, but it was at least half way across the field, so around a degree perhaps? I put in the Baader Mk 111 zoom for a closer view. Zooming up to x150, the nucleus became apparent within the coma which was not visible at lower powers. I realised that M13 and M92 were nearby and would make good comparison objects, it took less than a minute to move to and fro from the comet to these two globulars in turn. M92 was clearly smaller than the comets coma. As far as I could tell M13 and the coma were around the same apparent size, though the globular had a less clear outline due to its edge consisting of thinning stars as you move outward from the centre. In terms of mag, M13 was brighter, though not by very much. The comet perhaps being in the mag 6.5 to 6.0 ball park? The comet was lovely in the 8inch and is an easy object, very globular cluster like at present as I mentioned. It's looking very good as it comes closest to the earth at the start of February. If it does get to around to m4.5 and the tail brightens, it should be even better! Well worth getting up for 😊. Below position of comet at 5.00am, altitude 59.

That's strange, I located it fine in the 8inch StarSense Explorer dob this morning, searched for c/2022 and it was on the list of comets that came up. Took me straight to it. I don't see how the app can change or work for one person and not another - but then I'm no techy. Sorry zI can't help.

C/2022/ E3 (ZTF) is around 6.5 and getting better. Between midnight tonight it is around 20 deg alt, by 2am 33 deg, and by 5am 60 degrees. During this time it's azimuth goes from 31 degrees to 88 degrees - nearly due E. The screen shot from SkySafari below shows its position at 3am when it will be at an altitude of 41 degrees. If you can stand the snow and ice (in Yorkshire at least) it should be worth the effort.

Single frame and crop taken with Altair 80 ED-R and Olympus E-M5 Mk11 at 11.10am, 1/320 at 200asa. I'm rather hoping the four largest AAs will have some growth spurts! Full disc frame added from yesterday for comparison.