Comet Lovejoy Q2

[kerrylewis]

Wouldn't that just be explained by the fact you are looking at it through a Dob and the imagers are using Refractors and poetic license processing tools?

No, I allowed for that Derek - the photos show it going towards M45 but I had it going away. But I agree I didn't have the poetic processor! 

[DRT]

That's a good clue, Kerry. I had no idea which direction it should be facing but now I have that reference I will have a look. Clear Outside tells me tomorrow night is going to be clear so I'll get the big guns out and see if I can pick it out.

[iamjulian]

... the photos show it going towards M45 but I had it going away.

Are you basing that on the way the tail is pointing? The tail is blown away from the sun, but is not a great indicator of its apparent motion.

[Paul M]

There's good news and there's bad news:

Bad news. We are back in rural Cumbria, the first time since Q2 was all the way down in the gloom of Lepus. In our brand new caravan and found the combi boiler to be in fault. Google tells me it's a flue gas fan fault.

The plumber didn't turn up either so back on emergency electric heating. 

The good news. Q2 is an obvious naked eye object and looks lovely in the bins The clouds rolled in a few minutes after going outside so didn't even achieve full dark adaption.

Come in for a warm until the sky clears again.

[mjpfc]

I have been away to Hinkley in Liecestershire for a few days and it has been misty/cloudy so glad there are dark and clear skies

tonight.  Saw Venus earlier and left the scope out to chill-out for YKW.

It seems incredible to me that a couple of weeks ago this Fuzzball had me straining to focus Low over my back wall to catch it in the gap

between the houses to the south, and tonight I am trying not to bash the legs of my tripod with the mirror end of the scope as I crane my

neck and everything else to get it in the Newt's Field of view.

It is slowing down now and not moving as much from night to night, but it has fairly ripped across the sky and is now imposing itself

on Triangulum like an unwanted guest in a Dickens story.

Is it just me, or is the middle (False nucleus) getting more extensive, if slightly dimmer ?

If I put the 15 by 70s on it, and slightly wiggle them, I am positive I can make out two short spikes (close together) coming from it to the upper Left.

It does not matter what I do with the Newt, I am picking up nothing but the round, slightly pear-shaped halo.

I can see that I will have to get the Meteor-Lounger out either tomorrow or the night after. 

I am going to have a hot Eccles Cake, and then another look before Jupiter and M93.

Mick

[DRT]

I am going to have a hot Eccles Cake, and then another look before Jupiter and M93.

Those must be special Eccles Cakes if they enable you to see the southern skies from the Isle of Wight

[Owmuchonomy]

My first opportunity tonight to chase C/2014 Q2. I invited the neighbours not just out of the kindness of my heart but to help me lift the 12" Dob outside. I set it up from the start with my 82' 24mm ES EP. A quick check out on M45 and then I moved toward Perseus until a smudge appeared in the finder. Through the EP the view was stunning at around 60x. I would estimate the glow covered about 25% of my view with a very small but sharp and distinct core and the tail was distinctly in a V shape running diagonally down to 5 o'clock and out of view. I couldn't detect colour but my neighbour volunteered green as a faint colour. I guess I just caught it in time.

[happy-kat]

Had two hours trying to catch it on camera boy it is high now. Fabulous clear night but cold and in for food and battery almost died on me.

[bejay1957]

Sky not as clear tonight, but Lovejoy is still a good view in binocs; started playing at imaging with a second hand Canon 600D I acquired today - will review images later...

[DRT]

I had much the same experience as Owmuchonomy tonight with the 12' Dob and Nagler 31mm. The coma looks larger than it did a week or so ago.

How long is the comet going to be visible to ground-based telescopes?

[Stu]

I'm down in Uley, Gloucestershire this weekend. We went out to a dark site this evening and although there was some patchy light cloud around at times, generally the skies were pretty good. Way better than home anyway.

Using the Astrotech 106EDT with 21 Ethos giving over three degrees fov, the comet was looking mighty fine. The centre appeared quite bright with a large halo. The best thing for me was being able to clearly identify the tail visually. Largely with averted vision perhaps, but still there. This was identified without checking in SkySafari first. The direction matched exactly when I did check though so it is a definite observation.

Lovely night with a number of other nice targets spotted too

Stu

[Owmuchonomy]

I had much the same experience as Owmuchonomy tonight with the 12' Dob and Nagler 31mm. The coma looks larger than it did a week or so ago.

How long is the comet going to be visible to ground-based telescopes?

Not sure but I figured from Sky Safari it's right on top of the Little Dumbell on 19th Feb at mag 5.6.

[Stu]

This is the track through until the end of Jan

http://www.binocularsky.com/binoc_transient.php

[Pete Presland]

Looks like its going to be around for quite a while yet. The estimates i have read say it should be around mag 5-6 for February, fading to 8 by the end March.

[mjpfc]

Those must be special Eccles Cakes if they enable you to see the southern skies from the Isle of Wight

That's the good thing about living in the deep south Derek, I can even observe M7 without even leaving my garden.

(Although last-night the sky to the south was a little misty, so M93 was not at it's best).

Up high the sky was ok until quite deep into the night (with an hour or so misty interlude) so I was able to watch Q2 creep through

the nearby stars with obs spread out until it got too hazy in the west.

It's great to watch celestial objects change position and with such a bright Target.   As Pete says, it's due to FADE to Mag 8 by March !

Comet fans have been Very lucky bunnies these last two winters thanks to Mssrs Lovejoy.

As someone said on this forum last year, mentioning the Name Lovejoy would probably not be  popular round the Ison Family dinner table.

(even though Ison was a neat little comet really).

Mick.

[DRT]

Can you really see that from the IoW, Mick?

I had no idea the difference in view would be so stark when we are only a couple of hundred miles apart.

Might have to plan a holiday to the Dinosaur Island

[Stu]

Thought I would check this out and see the difference. These are 4 snapshots from Aberdeen, Manchester, London and Cowes.

At the time I chose, M7 ranged from -1.7 degrees in Aberdeen, not so good [emoji12], to +4.4 in Cowes so there is quite a significant difference.

Worth heading south to the coast for those lovely objects in Sagittarius etc

Stu

[mjpfc]

Can you really see that from the IoW, Mick?

I had no idea the difference in view would be so stark when we are only a couple of hundred miles apart.

Might have to plan a holiday to the Dinosaur Island

IOW Star party in March or Early April, Brightstone clifftops with nothing between you and the southern Sea Horizon, er .....if the clouds stay away.

Some clouds just now, but plenty of gaps and Lovejoy is riding high in a field with lots of stars to measure its position against.

I am going to stay out as long as poss to get the Asteroid if I can so will be able to monitor Q2 moving against the background.

Jupiter up now too, Moon is up but less than 1st 1/4 so not too much in the way.

Have a good night all

Mick

[DRT]

Sounds great, Mick. I won't make it to the IoW party this year as I'll be up in Scotland celebrating (?) my 50th but hope to get there one day.

[goodricke1]

Was hoping to see the asteroid Mick but not a hope, total cloud cover here.

[John]

Lovejoy Q2 was looking quite nice earlier this evening. It was right overhead but a little too close to the Moon to be seen at it's total best. I could just make out a faint tail with my 4" refractor but I've seen it looking better a few days ago.

Milky skies here now so only the brightest objects are showing through - maybe it will improve later for a shot at the asteroid ?

[mjpfc]

Comiserations G, some probs here with the sky but not show-stoppers

I caught a look at BL86 from Just before to a quarter after midnight, but the sky to the west turned milky first and then

clouded over towards late evening so I was unable to watch Q2 Lovejoy  move very far after early evening. (Luna was very near)

It is looking a little bit more wedge shaped at present compared to how round it has appreared up until now. 

The Sky was too hazy to see anything of a tail last night, but the moon assisted the water vapour there too.

Still, with Jupiter and its moons I was lucky enough to observe quite a spectrum of Solar system objects so I should'nt

complain.

Very cold front coming through wed, so maybe freezing but clear for the weekend.

Enjoy Scotland Derek

Regards, Mick.

[goodricke1]

Lovejoy now 4 hours from perihelion before begiinning its long long journey back to the depths...

[Helen]

Cartes du Ceil just let me down on location  , but after  some faffing around I've finally got it on the CCD for the first time   (my mount has been out of action for a few weeks)  I've seen it with binos quite a few times. here's hoping I can get some pictures before the cloud etc comes back!

Helen

[Helen]

Just looked at forecast.... sleet at 9pm!!!  better be quick!