what will panstarrs look like now in an 8 inch dob?

[ian_j_kirk]

i tried for ages last night but couldnt seem to find it. Was looking in the area above cassiopeia, but dont know if i overlooked it and mistook it for a star. Will it still have any tail and what kind of magnitude is it now.

Thanks

ian

[John]

I've observed it over the last few clear nights with my 12" scope. When you first find it it looks like a small fuzzy spot with a condensed center. As you examine it further and use a bit of averted vision (looking to one side rather than directly at it) you can make out a faint fan-like tail. It's not a bright object now - around 7th magnitude. I usually use a wide angle eyepiece to find it and then apply a little more magnification - say around 50x, to darken the background sky a bit.

The finder charts for the comet are pretty accurate re: it's position I'd say. I'm using this one at the moment:

http://freestarchart...rent-events/156

But the comet will soon be off the chart so I'll need to find another.

The comet was just on the fringe of naked eye visibility and sported a really strongly defined tail with 10x50 binoculars when I first saw it quite a few weeks back but it's somewhat dimmer and less spectacular now.

Well worth searching out though.

[Moonshane]

I agree with John. it's worth a look. It is really very dim now vs. previously. the view also depends how dark you sky is. for me it's in the sky that points towards Manchester so not good. from a darker site, I'd expect it to be a lot better.

[Wryneck]

I am not sure about in an 8 inch Dob but I am sure I found it last night with my 15 x 70 binoculars on a monopod.I have been following its progress and it was where I expected it to be. Very faint with nucleus dimmer than some nearby stars but a bigger point of light with the tail wide and very dim. I have got my doubts now but last night I was sure I had seen it. I hope I wasn't looking at something else in that area! I will have another look tonight. Good luck in your search

James

[cyborg421]

Yes it's getting much fainter now but I think you will be able to see it in a 8" Dob. Last time I saw it about a week ago the nucleus was identifable as a comet but the tail which I had seen previously was hardly in evidence.

Simon

[Mr Fiery Jack]

A few weeks back it was a very nice object indeed. Quite bright with a decent wide tail. There was certainly no chance of mistaking it as being anything other than a comet.

[oldfruit]

I was observing it last night in my dob but did also manage to see it in my 10x50 bins, faint but it was still visible.

[Moonshane]

it really does depend on sky quality.

[TimR]

^{I spent a good 45 minutes in the garden looking for it through binoculars (10 x 50) up and to the right above the central star in the W of Cassiopeia. I think I got it as a very faint grey smugde,and ony then with averted vision.Still,at least it is mild where we are tonight and I have a hedgehog for company.}