C/2019 Y4 Atlas brighter and larger tonight ?

[John]

Just had a look at comet C/2019 Y4 Atlas and also C/2017 T2 Panstarrs with my Tak 100m refractor.

In previous observations of these two comets I've consistently felt that Panstarrs was a little brighter and larger in extent than C/2019 Y4 Atlas but this evening the opposite seems to be the case. Y4 Atlas seems to have brightened and expanded in size a little and is now a slightly more distictive object than T2 Panstarrs, even allowing for the higher elevation of Y4 Atlas.

"The Sky Live" website has Y4 Atlas at mag 8.3 and T2 Panstarrs at 8.7 this evening so that seems to bear this out. "Heavens Above" has the two at mag 8.0 and 8.5 respectively but again with Y4 Atlas the brighter.

 

 

[kerrylewis]

Got these two at last! For various reasons I've not been able to observe or, like last night, conditions have been against me. But tonight I definitely saw the blighters though neither was exactly easy with the 100mm Tak in my increasingly light polluted garden. John - I thought T4 Atlas was the slightly easier of the two but that may be because of local LP.

I think that takes my comet tally to 18. I love 'em 

[andrew63]

Just been looking at Y4 also John, in the ST80. It's a little easier than a few nights ago, but still a hazy diffuse patch. The sky for me tonight had a little more glow and it was best at 32x.  The triangular group with Rho Uma marking the spot !

 

andrew

[Pete Presland]

just come in from observing it. I have not seen Comet Panstarrs, but Comet C/2019 Y4 Atlas definitely looked bigger and brighter tonight. I could not see it at all last night because it was quite hazy. Tonight it looked best in my 22mm Nagler, a little brighter in the 13mm Ethos. A nice little right angle of stars marking its position.

[Littleguy80]

It’s brightened quite a bit over the last 10 days. I can still spot it’s glow in my 9x50 finder. if it continues to brighten like this then it’s going to be one to remember  

[andrew63]

Not moved far from last night - quite near a 7 mag. star, best view at 21x tonight. Its pretty high up though!

andrew

Edited March 26, 2020 by andrew63
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[JamesF]

I did initially think this evening that it was heading for an occultation of that star, but having tracked its path for an hour or so I've changed my mind.

James