Comet 8P/Tuttle

[asteria]

Hi there - anybody had any luck locating Tuttle yet? I've just tried in some 50mm binos, but no joy. My dark adaption probably wasn't great though.

Any pointers?

Ed

[Trevor]

Hi Ed

She’s around mag 10.8 at the moment try here for a bit more info:

http://www.cometchasing.skyhound.com/index.html

Trev.

[asteria]

Thanks Trevor - it looks like it might be still a bit faint for binos given the LP around here. The site is a useful one with a good clear chart for the comet's path.

Best wishes.

Ed

[supernova]

Hi ED I was going to ask the very same question.

I am keen to get a look too, when this Huricane shoves orff

I will let you know.

Bernie.

[lunator]

Ed

I'm hoping to see this near Christmas time

I doubt I will see it before then as it never seems to stop raining..................

[asteria]

Hi everyone - I was hoping to get the ST80 out tonight and have a look with a scope. However, we have a hurricane down here too with lashing wind and rain. Until next weekend!

Ed

[supernova]

The 24th DEC at midnight will be a good time.

Look for the Raindeer

{that was a joke}

[asteria]

Hi all - just tried for Tuttle again with the binos - no joy before being clouded over. Lovely view of the Hyades however! A much easier target!

Ed

[jgs001]

I had a try for tuttle this evening with the Bino's but no luck.

[Dendroica]

I am a virtual beginner but I believe I can see comet Tuttle tonight!! I have a Leica APO 77mm birding scope.

I dont really know how to tell you exactly where but its in Cephus and Stellarium gives the coordinates of nearby star as as RA 23h24m10s and +77deg 6' 46''....this star is the bottom left of 4 roughly equally dim stars and its slap bang in the middle of the square. Not as far east as Errai (3 cep)

Somebody please confirm I am so excited!!! It's a fantastically clear night here in rural Norfolk.

Dave

[Dendroica]

Slightly better instructions than my previous post!

I am a virtual beginner but I believe I can see comet Tuttle tonight!! I have a Leica APO 77mm birding scope.

I dont really know how to tell you exactly where but its in Cephus and Stellarium gives the coordinates of nearby star as as RA 23h24m10s and +77deg 6' 46''....this star is the bottom left of 4 roughly equally dim stars that form a square and its slap bang in the middle of the square. Not as far east as Errai (3 cep)

Somebody please confirm I am so excited!!! It's a fantastically clear night here in rural Norfolk.

Dave

[rawhead]

It's a fantastically clear night here in rural Norfolk.

Dave

Not where I am, the fog's rolled in...

[Talitha]

I saw Tuttle last night with the 80ST... it looked like a large, unresolved globular cluster. Even though I live out in the country under dark skies, I couldn't detect the comet at 12x (32mm ep), so I kicked the magnification up to 20x (20mm ep). There was Tuttle, nestled in a triangle of stars, exactly where my Sky Tools program said it would be. (Sketch done with 32mm ep and 2.8x Barlow.)

With any amount of light pollution I might not have been able to see it at all. Larger aperture would have helped, but I didn't feel like setting up the 8" SCT because it was 7°F out there. :shock:

Here is the comet's ephemeris page, and I'm attaching a screen shot from the Sky Tools program with Tuttles' motion trail added. The trail was generated using my time zone (-6 UT), but it'll give you an idea of the general location and movement of the comet.

[Talitha]

Last night I had no problem seeing Tuttle at 12x through the 80ST (32mm ep). It was pretty easy with the 11x70s, too.. maybe I wasn't properly dark adapted on the 12th.

The lower magnification didn't show the brighter core like it did the other night, so the comet looked like an elliptical galaxy rather than an unresolved globular cluster. I didn't stay out any longer than was necessary to make a quick sketch.. it was only 3°F at 7pm (got down to -10°F last night.. brrr!).