Comet UPDATE

[FLO]

FRAGMENT C: The biggest piece of comet 73P/Schwassmann Wachmann 3 is not falling apart. Sturdy fragment C, for reasons unknown, resists crumbling. This makes it different from the other 40+ fragments of the dying comet. (continued below)

Above: Fragment C photographed on April 21st by Masa Nakamura of Otawara, Tochigi, Japan

Tonight is a good night to see fragment C. Point your telescope toward the double star zeta Herculis in the keystone of Hercules. Fragment C is passing by that star tonight, making it especially easy to find.

Source: www.Spaceweather.com

[Rob]

Thanks Steve. I'm going to try a look tonight.

Rob

[radioactive]

me too if the cloud cover breaks we had heavy cover last three nights on trot .not too bad in the days just after dark!

[FLO]

Greg and I will have a crack at it tonight - sky nice and clear at the moment

[Naz]

I will be giving it ago tonight as well, saw the C & B parts on Thursday night, but not G, looks as though it has disinegrated totally.

naz

[radioactive]

still wall to wall clouds here

[FLO]

Found fragment C thru the Revelation 80 at 50x; the center and surrounding glow were bright enough but it needed averted vision to see the surprisingly long tail.

[Naz]

Yes, found C also, but due to tiwlight,didn't see any signficant tail, just a slight elongation of the head, using the 120 f5 and 60x.

naz

[FLO]

Hey, we bagged us a comet

[The Warthog]

You did indeed! Congratulations! I'll be out next time it is clear. The transparency was awful the last few nights, even though the humidity was relatively low, in the 40s. There's a warm front coming in, which probably won't improve things, and will give us a couple days of rain. Naturally, since my son just phoned me to tell me my scope has arrived...

[FLO]

I have been distracted WH; which scope have you ordered?

[Rob]

Rubbish here last night ( ). Going again tonight with the Sentinal!.