quiet in here,ok wheres comet 103p hartley?

[stafford_stargazer]

Is this comet yet to be seen in binoculars?

Where can it be seen at moment?

Thanks Gaz

[jinstan]

Hi, GAZ

Check this link, There is a position map link and some discussions about the magnitude. Seems difficult for bins at the moment.

[Abell76]

Hm...still no one ?

Just got back inside: Seen 103p in both 20x80s (biiiig) and 10x50s (easy, bright with large coma)

Quite some fluffy cloud should be an easy target for all bins >10x mag.

Didn´t try the 8x56s tonight...

Go get it

[lukebl]

Franky, it's pretty disappointing visually. I can see it with my 10" but it's not much to look at. Faint and diffuse.

Check here: Comet Chasing

[Talitha]

It was really easy to see with 11x70s the last few nights. It's diffuse though, and probably looks best with no light pollution (i live way out in the country).

[russ]

Hoping to check this out tonight. Carol, good that you can see it clearly with 11x70, gives me hope with the 15x70.

[Abell76]

it's pretty disappointing visually. I can see it with my 10" but it's not much to look at.

WHAT ?

Did you see the same comet ??

[Ludd]

Well, when we had a clear night here (very clear indeed by London standards) a couple of days ago I tried to spot it in my 11x80 bins but could see absolutely nothing. M31 was bright as anything, but no comet.

[NickH]

It's got between a 20' to 36' coma, and a diffuse tail forming...it's a very nice comet, though the diffuse nature is making it trickier under lp skies to pick up

[Talitha]

How did it go, Russ... see anything?

I agree with Nick, light pollution seems to overwhelm the comet quite easily. Under dark skies though, it's really quite beautiful... reminds me of Holmes, in a way.

[Tim]

It must have gotten a lot brighter then, the last time I saw it was a few weeks ago through an 18" Obsession at a dark sky site, and it wasn't much more than a smudge on the eyepiece

[matt c]

I just had a crack at it myself and couldn't see it at all

[Tim]

It's not much to look at with my 15x70's

I've just started a little imaging run on it to see if it has much of a tail/halo etc.

[mike.brightmore]

Its a lovely clear night here in North East Lincolshire, UK and hardly any dew for a change. Saw Comet Hartley 2 quite clearly in the 25 x 100 bins but it is faint and diffuse. It's exactly where this months Sky at Night magazine said it would be heading from the right of delta Cassiopeia (Ruchbah) towards the right of the double cluster in Perseus. It will sail passed the double cluster over the next couple of nights. It is near zenith now (about 80 degrees Alt.) so quite difficult to observe with bins on a tripod. Also picked it up with the scope but that didn't give much more detail.

[Talitha]

It's been lovely, and very easy to see with the 11x70s every time i've looked.

[peteuplink]

I've been looking for it but not been able to get a good look at it yet. My bins probably aren't quite good enough (10x40) and I do have a lot of light polution here.

I've just spent some time adding 103P-Hartley to Stellarium and it's saying that the comet should be quite close to Eta Persei tonight (That's assuming my scripting was correct)

[BinocularSky]

Visually, Comet 103P-Hartley is a large, diffuse, low-surface-brightness object. If your sky background is bright, you will find it very difficult. From a dark site it is easy in 10x42B, and should therefore be OK in your 10x40B but, if as you say, you have a lot of light pollution, you will probably need to find a darker site.

[NaomiH]

Glad it's not just me! Lovely looking (w. 10x70s) at the double cluster, M31 easily found, but no comet -- well probably too much light round here. I'll perhaps drive out somewhere darker tomorrow, but I was up at 4 am to take sgnificant other to the airport, so tonight's a non-starter. Goodnight everyone. zzzzzzzzzzzz

[Tantalus]

I think I've just caught it between the clouds. Just above and slightly east of NGC1528 (from Stellarium), but very feint from the back yard, and about the same magnitude and similar size as NGC1528 (mag 6.4)

[Moonshane]

not looked for a couple of days but enjoyed this at a dark site recently. it was far better in my 15x70s than my 12" dob. I also located it at home. I think a good test is that if you can see Triangulum Galaxy (M33) then you will be able to see Hartley as it's just a little brighter (or was last time I looked). It's also about the same size (well, I mean of course as big to our eyes!).

[itchy]

I think I've just caught it between the clouds. Just above and slightly east of NGC1528 (from Stellarium), but very feint from the back yard, and about the same magnitude and similar size as NGC1528 (mag 6.4)

I think i saw it up and to the right of NGC1528 on the night of the 13th. Unfortunately it wasn't clear last night so i couldn't confirm if it had moved enough to be sure. Definately in the right area though..

[Tantalus]

Thanks Itchy.

Oh well! The search goes on...

[Peter Drew]

Comet 103P Hartley visible right now in 10x50 binoculars here in the NW. Large and very diffuse, no other detail seen.

[Moonshane]

here too in the 15x70s it's just below NGC1528 in the same field - very nice! M33 also visible. seeing seems quite good. chucked out the 6" in the hope of some Jupiter time. watch the clouds roll in as the scope cools!

[Steve922]

For those who don't know; the exact position of the comet is shown at www.heavens-above.com

Steve