Comets

[Tigaroo]

It's cloudy , so if you can't get outside and look at the sky , you read about it right? Was just reading Whittakers Almanack , seems there might be a couple of comet's  coming around this year? Wolf and Gehrel's ....no idea if they are visible ones ?! 

[Floater]

I'll leave someone else to comet! ??

[Tigaroo]

3 minutes ago, Floater said:

I'll leave someone else to comet! ??

Note to self 'check for typo's ?

[LukeSkywatcher]

I generally dont bother with comets unless they are naked eye ones which are then easily located in bins or a scope. Too many times, i have spent nights/weeks on end searching for them only to either fail completely or be greeted by a very diffuse green smudge.

They all seem to be green these days.......

Gimme one that is big and bright white (or off white), with lovely tails trailing behind it, and i would be all over it like a rash.

[popeye85]

A comet??! HA! Half the time i cant even find M31 which is a entire bleeding galaxy sat right next to us! What hope is their of me finding a scruffy little snowball!!??

[John]

A great web site to use is "Heavens Above". This lists comets that are currently visible and satellite passover times plus other useful information if you give your location and local time:

http://www.heavens-above.com/

 

[Paul73]

Good question. There are several brightish comets up there at the moment.

Which ones are worth looking out? Normally, first hint of a fuzzie visitor and this forum lights up like a Christmas tree (NGC2264 obviously).

Paul

[andrew63]

I've just been looking at 41P in Ursa Major, it's in a great location for a change ! See observing comet section for details.

 

andrew

[John]

I've just picked up Comet 41P Tuttle-Giacobini-Kresak in Ursa Major as well. Not really spectacular but not too hard to find either. I was using my 12" dob at 76x. Tomorrow night (if clear) the comet will be close to M97 and M108 in the sky - maybe in the same widefield of view

[Tigaroo]

I saw what I think was a slow ( can they be slow?!) meteor burning up as I was viewing praesepe through my new 32mm last night ...something streaked across the fov in three bursts, like morse code dashes ... 

[Paul73]

5 hours ago, Tigaroo said:

I saw what I think was a slow ( can they be slow?!) meteor burning up as I was viewing praesepe through my new 32mm last night ...something streaked across the fov in three bursts, like morse code dashes ... 

Yes. They can move quite slowly compared to the more normal bright, blink and you miss it, streaks of upper atmosphere burn ups. Sometimes you can see the smoke! You don't see them that often though. Good spot.

Paul