Comet C/2020 F8 SWAN

[MarkAR]

The latest Dylan O'Donnell YT vid suggests Swan might be breaking up.

[Knight of Clear Skies]

5 minutes ago, verreli said:

Still a week to go before SWAN is visible from the UK but the light curve is doing strange things.  From a peak of Mag4.7 it's now down to Mag5.7.  That's a 2.5x decrease in brightness despite getting closer to the sun and earth.  Is it going to fizzle out?...  Comet chasing is a frustrating sport.

A shame, but thanks for letting us know.

[verreli]

To be optimistic, the previous light curve profile could have been due to a fragment breaking off this 'new' comet causing an outburst.  There is an online video of a sudden brightening which supports this.  The current magnitude could be the 'real' underlying magnitude which would mean that it will continue to brighten to around Mag4 in about 2 weeks.  Time will tell.  I just hope I get a chance to get a photo in the coming weeks from the UK.

[Knight of Clear Skies]

Yes, fingers crossed, we'll just have to see.

[maw lod qan]

I really hoped to find it this morning after I realized it was towards the East, 13° above the horizon. 

A tree blocked the direction with my DOB so I got the binos it was already growing very bright from the Sun.

Maybe tomorrow!

[verreli]

Had it not been for the lock down, I'd have been in the deserts of California this week enjoying dark skies.  Hope you spot it.  Please feedback your opinion on how it looks.  Looking at the light curve, dare I say it's starting to brighten again...?

Edited May 8, 2020 by verreli

[Pete Presland]

Hopefully it stays together long enough for the UK to get a look at it.

[maw lod qan]

Woke this morning at 2:30 am to find beautiful clear skies. But at the time Swan should climb up over the horizon, fog set in leaving only the brightest stars and the moon visible!!

[verreli]

Well comet Swan turned out to be an ugly duckling.  Went out this morning at 2am to clear dark skies and saw... nothing, even with binoculars.  The dawn light is too bright to resolve anything.  The light curve is falling off a cliff too at Mag 6.5 and falling.  Guess the batton is now handed over to Neowise.

[Littleguy80]

Over the weekend I got my first views of Comet Swan, my 12th Comet since I started observing in 2007. Sunday it was a really tricky spot and I left not feeling totally confident in my observation. Monday night but was much better. It’s quite diffuse but it’s dim glow was showing up. I’m sure it’ll be better as it rises a little higher. 

[Paul M]

Disappointing but that's comets!!

I don't think my northern sky will even get dark enough let alone clear enough. I'll have one last go tonight, if the sky clears and I stop up long enough.

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

I have spotted it twice now, both times with the big 16x80 binoculars. First I spotted it near Algol as a tiny glow where there shouldn't be any DSO on the night of May 20. Very faint in the pale grey sky near Capella last night. I couldn't be bothered setting up the imaging gear I had brought along. Disappointing indeed, but still another comet bagged

[John]

I've just been looking for this one with my 11x70 binoculars. Very low here and hardly any stars showing in that region due to LP. Didn't find it

[michael.h.f.wilkinson]

5 hours ago, John said:

I've just been looking for this one with my 11x70 binoculars. Very low here and hardly any stars showing in that region due to LP. Didn't find it

It is very difficult, I needed very transparent skies, had little or no light pollution, and an extra 10 mm aperture. Even then it was a difficult, averted-vision only object. 

[Littleguy80]

I agree, Michael. It seems very sensitive to conditions. Even with a 10” dob success is variable. Last night I tried and failed to see it. First attempt I left feeling like I was saw it but not totally confident. Second attempt, with good transparency, I was had much confidence in my observation. 

[Mark at Beaufort]

I thought that I had seen it with my Apollo 15x70 binos on the 22nd May as a diffused glow. Since then I have tried with a 6" Newt, Heritage 130P and my large binos but unfortunately no trace of it. 

I will keep trying but not optimistic.

[Paul M]

I've tried with bins from less than perfect locations and less than perfect skies without success.

Last night I had a last ditch attempt at imaging it. Not a brilliant sky and barely dark enough. Of about 30 subs through the 127 Mak there were traces of comet in about 20 and due to very bright sky glow only about 8 stacked. The resultant image was stretched to death, resuscitated and stretched to death again. 

So, here for your deepest pleasure and fulfillment, I bring you.....

[ DRUM ROLL]

.... COMET SWAN ?

[Mark at Beaufort]

Well Paul at least you got an image which shows the Comet. I decide that tonight was my last attempt so I have placed the 12" Dob in the best location at the end of the garden. I have checked out its position and there are some good stars to compare the area. Fingers crossed although I might fall asleep!!!

[Paul M]

58 minutes ago, Mark at Beaufort said:

I have checked out its position and there are some good stars to compare the area. Fingers crossed although I might fall asleep!!!

Best of luck! 

My northerly sky really shouldn't be so poor but it often is. Only got Fleetwood to my north and then Morecambe Bay and the Cumbrian Fells. Twilight was half of my problem last night, along with poor sky clarity. 

I don't think I'll try again for Swan. Certainly not tonight. Up for work at 6am.

[John]

I have my 12 inch dob out tonight so I might have another shot at SWAN with that if I stay up late.

 

[Paul M]

Just now, John said:

I have my 12 inch dob out tonight so I might have another shot at SWAN with that if I stay up late.

 

I suspect I'd have better results tonight than I had last night. Clear blue twilight right to the horizon. Just 2 hours to darkness(ish)

[Mark at Beaufort]

Sky was clear to the horizon. Found the star patterns  BUT no Comet. Its either gone very dim or the position on Stellarium is not correct. 

[Littleguy80]

1 hour ago, Mark at Beaufort said:

Sky was clear to the horizon. Found the star patterns  BUT no Comet. Its either gone very dim or the position on Stellarium is not correct. 

By this site it's dropped to mag 8 now. They update daily and generally seem to be pretty accurate. It was Mag 6.8 by them earlier in the week.

http://astro.vanbuitenen.nl/comets

[Mark at Beaufort]

27 minutes ago, Littleguy80 said:

By this site it's dropped to mag 8 now. They update daily and generally seem to be pretty accurate. It was Mag 6.8 by them earlier in the week.

http://astro.vanbuitenen.nl/comets

Thanks for that website Neil - not seen it before. I suppose at mag 8 then taking in the twilight, low sky position and the Moon perhaps we can forget seeing this Comet.