Comet Swan

[Stargazerkelly1989]

Hey folks 

Can we actually see comet Swan? And is it going to be relatively easy to find? 
 

thanks guys 

[Robindonne]

I guess with a good pair of uv-raybans it is possible

[John]

Comet C/2020 F8 Swan is currently in the constellation Triangulum. Not above the horizon until the early hours as far as I know.

 

[gurneyfan67]

Should be up higher near the star Capella late in the month so should be easy to spot.

[cletrac1922]

Some of my club members have imaged it, that was before the last full moon. 

Was hoping to try an view last few early mornings, but been overcast

Bit of history behind discovery of Comet Swan

Swan Hill is where I am originally from, mum and dad sold our farm outside Swan Hill in the early 1960's, and we moved to Melbourne

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-05-02/coronavirus-restrictions-lead-to-victorian-man-discovering-comet/12181100

John

 

[maw lod qan]

I haven't been able to pick it out of the glare yet.

Still trying though.

[Mark at Beaufort]

I tried this morning with binos from 2am onwards but a cloudy horizon stopped me seeing it. I could see Almach and Beta Triangulum but lost further down. Hopefully, with clear skies we might pick it up going past Algol and onwards to Capella. 

The big problem for us in the UK is we are coming towards summer solstice on the 20th June so no astro darkness. I understand that in central UK the best time to view the Comet  is about 1am when the Sun is at its lowest point below the horizon.

[John]

So all these media reports of "see the comet this weekend" are, as ever, for the UK at least, a bit misleading

https://www.express.co.uk/news/science/1282729/comet-swan-how-to-see-watch-green-comet-swan-uk-flyby-tonight

[Owmuchonomy]

Very misleading. It is now circumpolar but with Nautical darkness at best it’s not visible by eye, bins or ED80. I have tried!

[Mark at Beaufort]

16 hours ago, Owmuchonomy said:

Very misleading. It is now circumpolar but with Nautical darkness at best it’s not visible by eye, bins or ED80. I have tried!

Chris on Friday night I used my Apollo 15x70 binos and had to study Stellarium to get its exact position. The software was showing that the comet was in the middle of a line between star 36 and Nu Perseus. I accept that the northern sky does not go completely dark but I could see a dim, diffused glow which I took as being the comet nucleus. There is nothing else in that area. 

Anyway if I get another clear sky I will hunt down the comet using my 6" Newt plus the Apollo binos. I will also return to area I mentioned above just in case I got it wrong but I really believe that I observed the comet albeit no tail.