Uh Oh,...Ison still with us?

[mjpfc]

I made a report of this mornings obs under the "4 comets and a Transit" thread, but I would like to know

if anyone has seen ISON today.

I took my 8cm and binos to the Beach at 05:30 this morning to look at ISON; which should have been easy to find just below Spica, but after searching untill my eyes ached all I had around there was a rather faint, small, nebulous patch in the approximate position.

It may be something to do with high atmospheric cloud or something but as the sky lightened the area just below Virgo looked clear until low above the horizon,

I hope its recent outburst has not foretold the end of the Comet, Some recent reports have said it could be fragmenting already, and this mornings showing is a bit of a worry. Admittedly a big moon lightened the sky from the Southwest, but Lovejoy was still bright as a button, though sitting up nearer to Luna.

I think the UK weather for tomorrow morn (and the day after) may well be wintry pants, and that the moon is going to move closer, but as soon as I can get back out there I will have another go.

Clear skies

[Steve Ward]

He was a lovely sight in my 15 x 70's at 05:45 before the trees got in the way , not that my image reflects this .... 

[mjpfc]

Out again this morning but.......

                                     05:00 Clear to west and zenith, and indeed part of the east was clear too.

Down as far that is, until about 0.5 deg below Spica, where the murk was good and thick and generally remained so.

As Spica rose and the clouds pushed SE'wards the sky filled-in the gaps with others.

I did see a linear brightening through the thinner stuff and got all exited at first, but that could have been anything

brightened by rising sunlight.

Looked at Lovejoy high up - still very bright beneath Uma and extensive even in 8cm from the lit up esplanade/beach.....

Jupiter, Mars, and M3 (spotted as I tried to find Linear with my refractor in hand on the beach).

Back indoors now frozen stiff, not a total waste of time but I could have stayed at home and got the 20cm onto Lovejoy etc.

Aaaah the joys of the hobby I suppose.

Same again tomorrow...                           Mick

[Moonshane]

I'd have thought that if Ison exploded while near/behind the sun there would be a huge tail created by the contents being blown across space in the opposite direction to the sun. I may be wrong of course and would be interested to hear why if I am.

[Paul M]

I'd have thought that if Ison exploded while near/behind the sun there would be a huge tail created by the contents being blown across space in the opposite direction to the sun. I may be wrong of course and would be interested to hear why if I am.

I think that scenario is the only chance ISON has of gaining spectaculosity (made up word) before squeaking off into the darkness once again.

I bet "Lovejoy" is a banned word in the ISON household....

[allcart]

Spectaculosity.......Love it. That is going to be the new buzz word.

[Paul M]

Spectaculosity.......Love it. That is going to be the new buzz word.

Actually the correct spelling is:

Spectaculosity^©

[mjpfc]

So I guess that makes Lovejoy Spectaculocious.

Ison is very far down tomorrow, probably below Saturn (Saw the Ringed wonder this morning below Mercury) .

The moon is also a whole lot nearer though smaller.

Clouds dependant I will give it a go just before 6 and try my luck just one last time before Ison goes SOHO.

we'll need a clear one right down to the horizon so hpoes arn't high but..

Clear skies........especially East south Eastern ones

Mick.

[mjpfc]

Nope, failed again this morning. 

                            Glimpse of Mercury and even Saturn amongst Eastern murk and grimness but no Comet.

Ison may of course have remained too low as it was not long after Saturn rose that the sky got brighter than those I

have previosly seen Panstars in, and possibly only Mc Naught a couple of years ago may have shown itself.

(Thats the northern hemisphere Mc Naught of course, I realise that in the south you could see it actually occulting sun-spots).

I think if we re-name R1 Lovejoy "Ison" we will have had the Comet we were waiting for..surely there is a govenrment

department who can do that for us, and if not, I say we lobby our MPs until we get one.

Mick

[Paul M]

T'was a cold and frosty morning here this morning.

I got up at 5.30 for workieperkie and was treated to a lovely clear sky. Spoiled only by that glaring selenographic carbuncle.

I had a quick naked eye scout for Lovejoy. I don't think I saw it. Too much moonlight.

On the way to work I easily spotted Mr. Mercury low in the twilight and pulled over on a high spot on the lane to my work. No sign of the underachiever of the century.

I tried again from the office window. Never even managed Saturn

I was supposed to be doing a shift handover though

Sent from my HTC One using Tapatalk

[mjpfc]

Ison will be in SOSHO (LASCO)  feild of view from 02:00 this morning if its holding itself together. 

As (I thik it was Sagan?) once said: "Comets are like cats, they both have tails and they both do as they please"

I'll be watching from eve 29th (NW) and Morning 30th (ENE) from a suitable hill-top.

Mick

[SHUTTLE ATLANTIS]

morning everyone

ison seems to be going like the wind saw a picture from nasa soho showing ison intact

wow she,s  doing a wapping 270.000+ mph now estimated mag 0.6 as well lets all hope and pray

she hold togeather for a ride of a life time and emerges safely on the other side and shines

until 29th/30th nov will be watching

steve

[Steve Ward]

Just entered the FOV of C3 ...

http://sohodata.nascom.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/data_query_search_url?Session=web&Resolution=1&Display=Movie&Start=2013-11-27&Finish=2013-11-28&Instrument=LASCO&Detector=C3

[mjpfc]

Aye,

           looking good on the time-lapse and 08:30 latest photo today.

Cheers steve

Mick

[stevend]

I'll be watching from eve 29th (NW) and Morning 30th (ENE) from a suitable hill-top.

Mick

St Boniface Down ?

[mjpfc]

Aye, probably Boniface for the evening (if I can finish work ealy enough to get across) and most likely

Culver to look out eastwards in the morning.

My back garden at Sandown was good for the run-in, then the beach as it got lower but Culver itself

may interfere with vies on the way back up until it attains a descent height so Ill pop up there.

Regards, Mick

[Moonshane]

no chance up here yet (Manchester)

[mjpfc]

It should be close enough now to be in the lasco Camera 2 feild of view by now.

Just waiting for SOHO site to update the piccies.

Getting very close, tea-time should be interesting.

[mjpfc]

Well,

          after 2 days of SOHO/SDO action the plucky little fella is still hanging in there !

I shall jolly well get myself down to the sea-front from tomorrow morning (cloud gap expected) and have

a look above the position of the sun whilst its still with Poseidon,

It does not look so very bright in the Latest Lasco C3 image but who knows, Ison has confounded just about everybody

these past few months so expect the unexpected. (And be ready for the unexpected with some half-descent optics).

Thats my motto (as of 2 minutes ago)

Clear skies    Mick.