Comet 168P/Hergenrother

[John]

That sounds pretty much what it looked like when I viewed it a few days back Mark. I wonder if it's brightness has peaked now ?.

We will see I guess.

It's nice to have a comet that's actually moving in a direction that makes it more visible each evening - often it's the other way round and you are skirting the chimney pots trying to find the thing !

[Moonshane]

it seems about the same brightness tonight that it was the other night so maybe it has peaked. when I knew where it was, it was very easily visible in my 16" dob masked to 170mm. it's moving rapidly.

[Ptarmigan]

That sounds pretty much what it looked like when I viewed it a few days back Mark. I wonder if it's brightness has peaked now ?.

We will see I guess.

It's nice to have a comet that's actually moving in a direction that makes it more visible each evening - often it's the other way round and you are skirting the chimney pots trying to find the thing !

Quite so! but,

not forgetting that it has already had two (or was it three?) sudden outbursts above its expected curve, so I had hoped for another (Holmes-like) outburst !! geting a bit late for that now that it is on its way out

[SeedyF]

After two cloud aborted attempts I had several clear hours last night and finally managed to see it. I think I was being a bit naiive as to what to expect. When I did see it I wasn't sure so I had the handset readout check the co-ordinates and decided that compared to the RA & DEC in sky and telescope I was definitely looking at it

I had star hopped to find it originally and I will admit from Hemel Hempstead it wasn't easy at first - even in a 10" dob. Once I knew exactly where to look it seemed much more obvious.

[andrew63]

It's 8.50 conditions are a bit better - perhaps about the same as the other night - the comet would appear to be fading - compared to my first view it's looks perhaps 1 mag or so fainter. Anyone else looking tonight?

It's now 9.15 and it forms a little trapezium with 3 stars but i would now describe it as getting difficult to observe in a 4" - there are a few wispy high clouds but it has dropped by a least a mag.

andrew

[Mark at Beaufort]

Viewed it tonight with my 4" APO frac using the 13mm and 8mm Ethos. I think Andrew might be right that its not so bright as last night although I was using the 10" Dob yesterday.

It might be clear tomorrow night so I will try to evaluate the mag tomorrow. However, it was good to view it in a 4" scope.

Mark

[mdstuart]

I saw this tonight in my 10 inch dob. Its easily visible with direct vision in the dob but I tried with my 20 x 80's and it was barely visible. Its very small and I would say about mag 11....

Nice though!

Mark

[andrew63]

I first saw it on thurs 11th it was quite obvious - people were estimating under 10th mag. Friday had rain but tonight, don't think conditions were any worse, the milky way was visible, could have been a touch less transparent, but was noticeably less bright in only the two days - kept the same lens also 13 TV plossl . If it's over mag 10 now? It could have dropped a half mag since you saw it yesterday Mark.

Thanks for the confirmation also Mark, perhaps a drop of 1 mag or so in two days - at this rate that may have been my last view!

andrew

[John]

I've just picked it up with my ED120. It looks less bright and less extensive than my last view of it. Quite hard to spot but bang on the position the finder charts predict. Ethos 6mm (150x) shows it quite well but it's still a small object even at that magnification.

I was pleased to pick it up with this scope

Edit: Marks estimate of mag 11 seems about right - the shows nearly over, perhaps ?

[JamesF]

I've just had another look at it, too. I'd say it's easier to pick up now than I found it a week ago, but of course now I know what I'm looking for. I'll have another look in a few minutes once my father-in-law has stopped polluting my patio with his sitting room lights.

James

[John]

A thin but annoying cloud layer has put an end to my fun here

Good to see the comet again though and I managed some very nice views of the Veil nebula and Jupiter with the latter just starting to look really nice with the GRS coming onto the disk as the cloud intervened.

[cotterless45]

This'll find it for a bit longer;http://cometchasing.skyhound.com/comets/168P.pdf

Nick.

[John]

This'll find it for a bit longer;http://cometchasing....comets/168P.pdf

Nick.

Thanks Nick

I hope it does not take a dive in brightness too soon.

[JB80]

Me too, I've been waiting for a clear night but it's just not coming.

[fredster]

We finally saw it last night. I failed miserably Saturday night using 15x70 bins in the garden. But last night i took the 120 refractor to a darker sky site and nailed the little blighter. Not any easy target in the frac. But a friends 8" newt gave a much better view, showing an elongated fuzzy ball. Easy to locate and kept us mesmerised for a few minutes. I can see why i couldn't locate it in the 15x70's though, not a prayer of doing so from my light polluted garden.

[Mark at Beaufort]

Viewed it again last night (14th Oct) this time with my 6" Newt. Used the 13mm and 8mm Ethos EPs. I estimate that it is slightly fainter than a few nights ago but it is still an interesting object to view and to note its movement through Pegasus.

Mark

[rory]

from my light polluted garden/town at x 48 . scribbled as the clouds started to close in.