Early morning PANSTARRS?

[JamesF]

It's struck me this evening that perhaps the comet might be a better early morning target than late evening now. Looks like it might get a bit more altitude when the sky is slightly darker. Anyone tried it?

James

[yeti monster]

I saw Panstarrs for the first time in the early hours. Subsequently I have watched it traverse across the northern sky. As it climbs higher it will be easier to follow through the night.

[Zakalwe]

Yep...I was driving to Manchester Airport at 6Am on Easter Sunday morning (don't ask) and it looked beautiful in the Eastern sky. I thought it was a jet contrail at first and nearly crashed the car about 5 times on the M61

[The Sailor]

James I done it last week, I took an avi of it at about 0300 hrs, probably could have waited a bit more but was tired and cold . Here is a frame from the avi:

Not the greatest.

Jim

[nytecam]

It's struck me this evening that perhaps the comet might be a better early morning target than late evening now. Looks like it might get a bit more altitude when the sky is slightly darker. Anyone tried it? James

Comet Panstarrs is currently tracking 'due north' towards Polaris at a near constant RA 00o 30' so both evening and morning apparitions will be very similar - my morning sky is clear of obstructions but over London Town and I'm not a good morning riser ;-)

[Tim]

I got it in the telescope from my obsy this morning, albeit through trees from around 04:45, so I might venture out to the site I have been going to with a better western horizon and get some pics on the eastern horizon, its a little darker that way too, I'd hazard a guess at it rising from the crud around 4am ish.

From last night sinking into the murk with a 200mm lens on 400D:

And from tuesday night on a roadside with my c9.25 - single exposure:

[Tim]

It certainly seemed brighter in the morning, here's the result from my obsy, and through a bunch of trees!

[lukebl]

Panstarrs is currently circumpolar in the UK, and therefore doesn't set. So, in theory, if you can find somewhere without excessive light pollution, you should be able to see it throughout the night against a dark sky.

[LunaSwift]

Some people seem to have all of the luck, This evening I went up on the downs above my home town of Worthing, hoping to get above the LP,It took me 2 hours to find the comet in binoculars and another 20 minutes before I could see it in a 40mm wide angle EP in my SW 120. I finally managed to step up to a 18mm Meade 5000 HD , but the view was very feint, I do not think using any more mag would have given me a better view. I have spent the best part of a month trying to see this comet , and the best view I managed was 2 weeks ago , On the downs through broken cloud.Time to give up on this one now I think

[kev]

FWIW In 10*50s its easy at 3am, just by the bottom of the RHS of the W in casseopia at the mo, although it has to be said that was my first view of it (!), and im on top of a hill with a nice dark sky over the sea in that direction. If the moggies wake me up again at weekend I feel the big bins will come out.