Maybe saw ISON?

[LouisJB]

This morning, around 7:35am - I was high up about 20-25 meters above local ground level and the ground is about 45m above sea level, could see clearly to the horizon in the Easterly direction.

Just a tiny bit above the horizon and just before the Sun came up, to the East, sort of SEE direction I saw a strange thing. A sort of short line, like a dot and short line. It was unlike a contrail in that it seemed to start and stop abruptly. It was very small, like a smudge of a line. Was going to take a pic with iPhone but thought it wouldn't show up since it was too small.

Unfortunately didn't have my DSLR with me.

Any time I've thought to look before it's been cloudy, this morning it was by accident I was looking in that direction as I'd given up hope to see it, it getting so close to the Sun now. It dawned (no pun intended) on me when the Sun came up near the spot just a few minutes after I'd seen it.

Could it have been ISON? At the time I thought no, but now I'm beginning to wonder if maybe it could have been. Possible?

[sheenoco]

I didn't think it was viewable any more? I'm probably wrong though.

[LouisJB]

that's what I thought, although when I check on Stellerium it does look plausible. 

Can anyone confirm it either way?

[Paul M]

Hi,

It seems unlikely to be honest.

For reference see this thread:

http://stargazerslounge.com/index.php?/topic/200578-Comet-Ison-after-sunrise

Sent from my HTC One using Tapatalk

[LouisJB]

I would tend to agree, it's just the time and location retrospectively seem to match stellarium closely. Still hard to be sure, if it's clear tomorrow will look again but I suspect there's no chance the conditions will be like that again - it hasn't been like that for weeks. 

[jambouk]

I saw saturn or mercury the other morning, might it have been one of the other of them?

[LouisJB]

definitely wasn't point like, like a planet would be.

It could have been a short contrail I guess. Hard to be sure, what brightness would ISON be against the sky just a few minutes before sunrise?

[Jason71]

When is the best time to try and view ison. Iv tried a few times now but have never spotted the thing.

[Stu]

It's not possible to see it at the moment, too close to the sun.

Start watching from 3rd December, but probably from 5th is most likely, from around 5.30 onwards I would think. The tail, if big, should be pointing up, away from the sun.

Stu

[Stu]

That's if it survives of course, looking increasingly doubtful!