Jump to content

SkySurveyBanner.jpg.21855908fce40597655603b6c9af720d.jpg

Possible discovery - Logged with BAA minor planets and comet sections


Recommended Posts

The great thing in my book isn't seeing the separation but knowing you've seen it and doing something about it. I'd have just thought, "oh there seems to be another little bit to it" and then gone to bed (or in your case, got out of bed!). Well done Nick!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Replies 217
  • Created
  • Last Reply

T-30 minutes until the next imaging run...hope it's easy to find, and not strayed too far off orbit...only have a 5 arcmin FOV to play with, and the orbit has changed.. will keep all here posted...hoping to find the third fragment today

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Sadly no luck today, both myself and another observer could not find the comet (5 arcmin FOV) based on the BAA or IAU coordinates...hoping for better luck tomorrow. FT has a very small FOV, so the coordinates have to be bang on the money.

Tomorrow it should be at

25th

15 23.4 58.47 Decimal

RA15h 23m 24s DEC 58 28 12

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I believe now that Pic Du MIDI may have got there first, as they seem to have on the comet list conclusive proof of their images and submissions before mine, though they did not go public. However, I wish to congratulate them, and say I am still very proud and honoured to have done something for the amateur community, and hopefully for Faulkes Telescope. I am however appalled at how the story has just spun completely out of control from the Daily Mail, and worked its way around the world adding more and more inaccuracies.

I use Faulkes in my lunch breaks or when I am at home...I logged the comet as a fragjmentation, not an explosion, and mount Everest is a pretty big mountain :-)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

At least Nick there will be some consollation that the 'World' will remember you for making the discovery public knowledge!! :)

Even if correct credit goes to someone else :headbang:.

As bad publicity the the Mail is, at least it's got the word out to people who might be interested in astronomy, and might hook a few more our way :mad:.

Keep up the great work and we all look forward to seeing and hearing updates.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Ran my original images from the 15th again (TMB 105) and the split is now clearly there, if you know where to look...and that's with a 4 inch refractor. Ft deconvolution on the CLS channel (120s exposure)

post-14410-133877436002_thumb.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

About to start another run

Right Ascension: 15h 23m 23.582s J2000

Declination: + 58° 40' 35.06" J2000

fingers crossed Calsky with it's instant update has got this bang on the money

big old star and smallish galaxy in the field...should make it more interesting

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Chris...it's just a web interface, wonderfully easy to use, you put in the RA and DEC and imaging parameters (exposure time/filters) and press go...exposure time later +53 seconds for integration and compile, they email you an image

here's a shot from 14:00UT today showing I believe two more fragments, which no doubt someone else will claim they saw first in a day or so :-)

Flickr Photo Download: thirdfragment

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Just sent this to the IAU and BAA

>>

Thank you again Charles for your help, and the IAU for their patience with my novice errors.

I am not sure what to do with what I found today, this needs a larger scope to verify, but I think it's fragmented into two more pieces

Imaged using F65 at 14:00-14:30 UT

25th March 2010

RA: 15h23'24"

DEC: 58°40'35"

<<

Link to comment
Share on other sites

here's a shot from 14:00UT today showing I believe two more fragments, which no doubt someone else will claim they saw first in a day or so :-)

Well I didn't like to say anything, but now you mention it, I had a quick shifty out of the window at lunch time and was pretty sure I could see 3 bits.

I went onto the Daily Mirror site for the first time ever to have a look at your story. The comments were hilarious. "My Mum photographed it too. And my cousin in Australia." Or words to that effect. Pure comedy.

Nick, has the comet brightened at all during this splitting?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The Italian observatory team noticed a brightening the weekend before. John Slinn took some exceptional images at the IOW star party which also seemed to show something. My own images between the 15th and 16th from home showed a brightening, that kind of got me onto this trail in the first place..

It needs better people than me to analyse this stuff in detail...I am just a little guy in a great big pond (and happily so)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue. By using this site, you agree to our Terms of Use.