Garradd brightening or fading?

[iamjulian]

AN magazine August said Comet Garradd is likely to start to fade by the end of the month. I thought this one was in the process of getting brighter?

[John]

I found it last night and I'd estimate that it was around magnitude 8. Thats a little dimmer than the max brightness I've seen listed for this comet (so far) but I thought the predictions were that it would reach max brightness (est mag 6) in February next year.

[mdstuart]

I also saw it last night..nearly at that Dolphin in the sky now..Seemed about mag 8 as you say...fairly steady brightness over the last few weeks in my view..

I presume its going out past the sun and then back and as stated above will be brightest in the new year...

Its fun to try to pick it out each night..without checking the charts first..go on you know you want to..

Mark

[John]

....Its fun to try to pick it out each night..without checking the charts first..go on you know you want to....

Thats straightforward enough if you can get some viewing in each night or every other night. Miss a few nights and it's a whole lot harder - I always seem to underestimate how far these things move each night

Looks like a peek will be possible tonight though

[Vicky]

I was hoping for this to night but crikey- that moon!!!

[John]

I was just able to find it with my ED120 refractor before the moon rose above the rooftops tonight. It still looks around mag 8 to me. Relatively easy to find tonight as it was between the stars Alpha and Gamma Delphinius.