Comet 41P/Tuttle-Giacobini-Kresak brightening

[pjsmith_6198]

Has anybody observed this come yet?  it is becoming easier to see and is predicted to be mag 5 or 6 by the end of April.   I saw this March 3,  It  conveniently located in Leo.   SkyTools 3 estimated it to be magnitude 8.5 and a size of 10.1' at that time.   The comet was large and diffuse, making it more difficult than the magnitude indicates.  I got my best view of using a 20mm EP.     I tried my Lumicon Comet filter on it, but it didn't seem to help much.  So I guess for now the comet's mostly dust and not ionized gasses.    I'll have to see if it works later on.   The fact that the Moon was still up when I viewed didn't make it any easier.  Until the Moon is out of the sky,  I think this will be challenging.  

Here is info on Comet 41P/Tuttle-Giacobini-Kresak
http://www.aerith.net/comet/catalog/0041P/2017.html
 

[Les Ewan]

Thanks for the heads up,and well done in seeing it so early.

Les.

[pjsmith_6198]

Check out the link above.   On March 22 Comet Tuttle will close enough to M97 and M108 to have a "3 in the view"  if you have a telescope/EP combo with a 2 deg FOV.    I checked it out in Starry Night 6.    By that time it can be observed without Moon interference.    Hopefully the weather cooperates.  

Phil

[Dave In Vermont]

It is in Stellarium now. I've been keeping an eye (or two) on it. Here's a screenshot:

(Look toward the upper-right)

 

And a bit closer in:

 

 

And moving right in:

 

 

So it's eminently findable if you look for it.

My SWAN-Filter is looking for a target. This looks plausible!

Have fun, all -

Dave

[Guy Wells]

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[FenlandPaul]

Got my first look this evening in the 12" dob, near Ursa Major's feet.  Best view was at low power, but it was still fairly diffuse, like a very faint but quite large globular cluster.  It was brighter but non-stellar towards the core, generally round but with a possible concentration towards the NW (possible, not confirmed).  It didn't hold power well.  It will be heading up through UMa over the next few days.

Paul

[Martin Meredith]

In case its of interest, I got a quick shot of it last night in my 8" f/4 Newt using Lodestar X2 mono camera + filters. As Paul says the core is quite bright but I couldn't find any sign of a tail.

This is 2 minutes in each of RGB. The core isn't really multi-coloured: this is the result of the comet's motion in between R, G and B filters; no special comet processing done during the live capture. I was hoping to see a tail but I ought to have used shorter exposures to minimise the motion.

Martin

[FenlandPaul]

Good shot, Martin. So the slight concentration I commented on looks like a negative: it seems very regular on your pic.

P

[andrew63]

Just had my first view of 41P tonight. It's very diffuse, even patch and could not see much brightening towards the centre, perhaps around magnitude 8. This was in the 4" at 31x and at 50x it was much larger although i think it will be better seen at lower power. It's really well placed and heading for M97 M108 tomorrow. Should make a good photo opportunity !

http://www.skyandtelescope.com/observing/comet-41pt-g-k-glows-green-for-st-paddys-day/

andrew

[goodricke1]

Success for me also; in the same fov as Merak with the 15x70s and hard to miss really. I would estimate mag 7.2 and ~10 arc-minutes diameter. Spared a few moments contemplating Mr Tuttle's first observation 159 years ago.

[John]

I've just managed to find and observe Comet 41P Tuttle-Giacobini-Kresak. Tomorrow night it will be very close to M97 and M108 but then it might not be clear, wheras it is now !

I'm using my 12" dob at 76x at the moment and the comet is quite clear and obvious. No particular shape that I can see. Looks rather like a largish galaxy, perhaps a tear drop shape but thats a guess rather than definite.

Nice to see this one. 3rd scope I've had out tonight as well - must be some sort of record !

[Helen]

If anyone fancies getting involved in the study of this have a look here https://www.psi.edu/41P45P46P 

I've got some data here on field trip (Calar Alto) using a 1.23m scope Need to process it tomorrow to do some analysis, but here's an unprocessed sub in V band.

Helen

[John]

Only 1.23 meters Helen ? - you're using the grab and go then I think ?

 

[Helen]

Yep ?   (we couldn't afford the 2.5m or 3.5m here ? )

Helen

[Mark at Beaufort]

I also viewed the Comet last night with the 12" Dob and a 13mm Ethos. I agree with John's description above - certainly at the moment is looks like a diffused galaxy.

[SilverAstro]

Oh ah ! If you are all needing 12" up to 1m that explains why I couldnt find it with my 10x50 !!! even though it was at times a very clear sky.

I thought I had a faint fuzzy at one point with inverted imagination, and  Skyhound says " A morning comet visible in binoculars ", but he must have big binos then !

 

[jb1970]

2 hours ago, SilverAstro said:

Oh ah ! If you are all needing 12" up to 1m that explains why I couldnt find it with my 10x50 !!! even though it was at times a very clear sky.

I thought I had a faint fuzzy at one point with inverted imagination, and  Skyhound says " A morning comet visible in binoculars ", but he must have big binos then !

 

15x70s will do it under a dark sky. I was out last night and it was just about visible in 15x70s. Really faint though and on the limit for my eyes. Didnt have my 10x50s to try. Unfortunately no scope either!

[bish]

Working away today - so away from the lights of Dudley last night. A real struggle with 15x70s. Larger than expected but really faint. If it's clear tonight might try the scope in the garden

[John]

I could not see it with any certainty with my 9x50 finder last night which was showing M81 as a comparison, which is a tighter object and around 1 mag brighter than the comet. Fortunately it was easy in a low power eyepiece with the 12" dob.

 

[SilverAstro]

Thanks y'all, hmmm interesting, I have a pretty dark site and all principle stars in U.Minor so nelm of the order of an unusual 5.5ish so maybe it wasnt all my imagination then

This is the sketch I made, overlaid (principle noted stars marked red) on Stellarium, given I was standing hand-held with crick in neck ! and not the worlds best sketcher ,, perhaps ,,, !

Must try again relaxed on a sunlounger if the clouds permit.

[andrew63]

32 minutes ago, SilverAstro said:

Thanks y'all, hmmm interesting, I have a pretty dark site and all principle stars in U.Minor so nelm of the order of an unusual 5.5ish so maybe it wasnt all my imagination then

This is the sketch I made, overlaid (principle noted stars marked red) on Stellarium, given I was standing hand-held with crick in neck ! and not the worlds best sketcher ,, perhaps ,,, !

Must try again relaxed on a sunlounger if the clouds permit.

That looks spot on to me !

 

andrew

[bish]

15 minutes ago, andrew63 said:

That looks spot on to me !

 

andrew

Yes, chalk that one up!

[Scosmico]

Finally, I have managed to see it last night. Visual magnitude is said to be +7.4 but in my opinion is around +8.4. The is no well defined nucleus.

I used my 3" frac with my 14mm eyepiece. The sky was moderately hazy.

The smudge was quite big, I would say 10'. 

My estimates may be wrong as I  am a bit rusty.

But what really strucks me is that this comet is around, being observed by modern astronomer, since 1858. Perhaps same comet some astronomy heroes one day saw through their telescopes. 

[Davey-T]

After last nights fiasco I found it in 5mins tonight, not much good at estimating comet brightness but as above looks a bit dimmer than advertised.

Have now fitted the DSLR and taking a few snaps.

Dave

[bish]

Tried tonight with the 10" dob. Two problems though were a being back in Dudley and a lot of mist. So, despite seeing it with 15x70 bins 2 nights ago, I couldn't see in a 10" scope tonight. I could just make out M97, but needed a UHC to confirm and Oiii to see clearly. I may have passed over it as I was getting some reflection in the ep. I will try again tomorrow if I get a chance.