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Comet Panstarrs and M31

John

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John

John

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I've just come in from an hour dodging clouds to find Panstarrs with my 4" Vixen refractor. The comet was around 3 degrees away from M31 (the Andromeda Galaxy) and the comet and the core of the galaxy looked very pleasing in the field of view that my 31mm Nagler provides - 3.9 degrees with this scope. The ES 20mm / 100 degree eyepiece just showed both objects virtually on the field stop on opposite sides of the FoV but the higher magnification bought out the contrast in the comet nicely. It still has that tight, bright nucleus and a gracefully fanning and slightly curved (towards M31 I thought) tail. Given the extensive clouds I had to make do with short glimpses, in the gaps, of this pairing as they dropped towards the nearby rooftops but all the same it was a rewarding session. I fancied that Panstarrs is still a little brighter than M31 overall as it became visible in the fading light a little before the galaxy did.

Wide angle, low power views are just the ticket for this sort of viewing :smiley:

This was the 4th time I've spotted this comet since it's been in our skies.

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Stu

Stu

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Nice one John, sounds lovely.

I've just spent a frustrating half an hour trying to spot it in binos but no luck, annoying cloud in the way and LP in that direction not good. I could see where M31 should be but no chance :-(.

Maybe I'll get lucky before it fades completely.

Stu

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John

John

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Hope you get to see it Stu.

I've just picked it up again tonight. It seemed harder to find tonight and looked fainter through my ED120 refractor than it did yesterday with the ED102. Either it's faded quite a bit of the transparency is not quite as good tonight.

Anyway it's still a decent sight at low to medium power though a moderate aperture scope.

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Stu

Stu

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Success! Finally after weeks of trying.

I had been looking in the right place all along, so what was the difference you ask?.....well I was staying in Bakewell in the peaks last night and spotted it very easily from town in my 15x50 binos. Could see Andromeda and so found it very easily. Looked nice, and properly comet shaped.

Had a quick tour whilst out, M35, 36, 37, 38, 81 and 82 all looked very nice, as did the double cluster. Just about managed m51 and 66 too, but very faint.

Really pleased to have finally got the comet, sad that it's not visible from home though.

Stu

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bish

bish

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Well done Stu :smiley:

It does look like a "proper" comet, this one.

That's what I like about it. A fuzzy ball at night isn't the same as a comet with a tail that you can see in twilight

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alan potts

alan potts

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Nice one John,

I believe this comet brought it's own clouds with it, I have had a good few clear skies and the only place there was cloud was where the comet was. Two nights back I set the telescope in the only place where I couldn't see it for the end of the barn roof, I'm not having the best of luck with this Pain in the starrs.

Alan

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