C/2020 R4 (ATLAS)

[Pixies]

Currently in Aquila. It's fairly motoring and will be in Hercules in 2 weeks and Coma Berenices in a month. Looking like it could reach mag 8.

http://aerith.net/comet/catalog/2020R4/2020R4.html

Anyone had a shot at it, yet?

Edited April 3, 2021 by Pixies

[John]

Not yet, but soon hopefully

[Paul73]

🤞🤞🤞

[PrairieStarGazer]

Not yet but will put it on my to see list for sure.

[Muc]

Got up at 4 this morn to chase this down with a 4.5 " widefield reflector. Got the right starfield, was hard to definitely identify the comet from the fainter stars. If I did see it then I definitely couldn't identify a tail. The sky may have been just on the turn to brightenning though. Will set alarm again

[Littleguy80]

I had a punt at this around 2am this morning after I got back from my dark site. I'd forgotten about it while I was there. Sky was a bit milky at that point and my eyes were probably a bit tired too so no luck. Looking forward to catching it as it brightens though.

[Littleguy80]

Managed to get this tonight at home with the 10” dob. It’s listed around mag 10 which felt about right. Classic hazy patch. The nucleus of the comet didn’t seem well defined but maybe that was just down to conditions. It’s all the way up in Bootes now so well placed to observe. This is the 14th comet I’ve observed and the first one since Neowise gave us such a great show last summer. 

Edited April 30, 2021 by Littleguy80

[John]

I've just managed to find C/2020 R4 Atlas in Canes Venatici. It's currently listed at magnitude 9.5 but Neil's description of a hazy patch (perhaps elongated ?) without a clear nucleus is spot on for me as well tonight under poor skies. I'm using my 12 inch dobsonian.

Glad to have caught it - not a good observing night at all but the prospect of the comet got me out there

There is another comet not far away from R4 Atlas - C/2020 T2 Palomar but it's listed at around mag 12 just now and given the inconspicuous appearance of R4 Atlas I strongly suspect T2 Palomar will be "no go" tonight.

Even the normally glorious Messier 3 is looking a little dowdy tonight

Chart below from Cartes du Ciel:

 

 

Edited May 1, 2021 by John

[John]

Yay !!!

I've just managed to get C/2020 T2 Palomar as well !!!

It's a smaller patch of fuzz. The skies are a bit better than earlier so I've been able to pick it up thanks to Cartes du Ciel. Both these are moving quite fast against the starry backdrop though. Fast enough to require "re-finding" after a break from observing for 15 minutes or so.

My first comets since Neowise as well. Very pleased to get the pair tonight when little seemed to be "on"

They are within 2 degrees of each other right now - might make a decent imaging target ?

 

Edited May 2, 2021 by John
Spelling !

[Davey-T]

Did a time lapse of R4 ATLAS the other night but haven't got around to processing it yet.

Dave

[John]

4 minutes ago, Davey-T said:

Did a time lapse of R4 ATLAS the other night but haven't got around to processing it yet.

Dave

I'd love to see it when you get time Dave

[Pixies]

Just found R4 Atlas tonight. Seeing poor but transparency pretty good, and that's what's needed.

It was very faint. I could barely detect it in my 8" dob. However, it's moving pretty quick and over the course of an hour and a half I could see it move around 8 arcminutes by HD108753. I wouldn't have been sure that I had seen it without observing this movement.