New visual comet - C/2010 V1 Ikeya-Murakami

[ako]

Two observers in Japan have independently discovered an 8th-magnitude comet, low in the eastern sky just before dawn. Kaoru Ikeya spotted the comet with his 25-cm (10-inch) reflector at 39x, while Shigeki Murakami used a 46-cm (18-inch) reflector at 78x, as reported in IAU Circular 9175 of November 3rd from the Central Bureau for Astronomical Telegrams

more from s&t SkyandTelescope.com - AstroAlert - Bright New Comet in the Morning Sky

amazings its still possible to visually find comets- stunning!

not sure if allowed but ive attached ephemeris for next 7days calculated using skytools 3 (amazing software!) click for larger image.

let us know if u get chance to observe.

[russ]

Excellent and Saturn looks like it will be a good pointer in the morning sky. Hopefully something for the weekend. Many thanks for sharing.

[GJBC]

Thanks for the heads up

[JB80]

Nice find for the guys, and to think they found it by actually looking at it and not in post processing.

I have the stellarium code if anyone is interested.

[2010V1]

name = C/2010 V1 Ikeya-Murakami

parent = Sun

radius = 24

oblateness = 0.0

halo = true

color = 1.0,1.0,1.0

tex_halo = star16x16.png

tex_map = nomap.png

coord_func = comet_orbit

orbit_TimeAtPericenter = 2455488.31671

orbit_PericenterDistance = 1.71541

orbit_Eccentricity = 1.0

orbit_ArgOfPericenter = 155.076

orbit_AscendingNode = 5.844

orbit_Inclination = 8.913

lighting = false

albedo = 1

sidereal_period = 365.25

[QldLiz]

Think I saw it this am wih bins .... a small faint fuzzy NE of Saturn, making a triangle with Porrima Virgo. Will try again tomorrow to confirm.

Difficult as low in the east, and sky lightening by 0430.

[Rahul Zota]

Congrats to both Japanese discoverers! Finding comets visually will never cease. This is the second visual discovery of this year

So from now a comet hunter will have to scan areas very close to the sunrise points, i.e within 50 degrees of solar elongation.

-Rahul Zota, Bhuj, India

[russ]

Nice find for the guys, and to think they found it by actually looking at it and not in post processing.

I have the stellarium code if anyone is interested.

[2010V1]

name = C/2010 V1 Ikeya-Murakami

parent = Sun

radius = 24

oblateness = 0.0

halo = true

color = 1.0,1.0,1.0

tex_halo = star16x16.png

tex_map = nomap.png

coord_func = comet_orbit

orbit_TimeAtPericenter = 2455488.31671

orbit_PericenterDistance = 1.71541

orbit_Eccentricity = 1.0

orbit_ArgOfPericenter = 155.076

orbit_AscendingNode = 5.844

orbit_Inclination = 8.913

lighting = false

albedo = 1

sidereal_period = 365.25

Many thanks, comet added

[Star child]

Thanks for letting us know, i wonder if this will brighten up a bit so i can see it with my binoculars! I love comets, one of things i find fasinating about them is they are so unpredictable, well there orbits can be predicted, but only once the comet is found, and as this latest comet shows, they could appear unanounced at any time, then they might get brighter , suddenly flaring up like Holmes did, or just gradualy increasing in brightness, but they could just as easily beome dim, or maybe maybe break up, and who knows about what the tails will do, will they be visible, will you see both the ion and the dust tail, will it be long and streched out or short and stubby (i guess that depends on the comets angle, im thinking if its almost head on the comet will appear more like a fuzzy ball?) well the possibilties are endless, just have to watch it each night and see what happens!

[russ]

That's two comets in the morning sky. Just need a clear sky now

[Mark at Beaufort]

Just updated my Starry Night Pro 5 and the comet is plotted in Virgo right next to Saturn. Hopefully we might get a clear sky tomorrow morning.

Mark

[russ]

Just updated my Starry Night Pro 5 and the comet is plotted in Virgo right next to Saturn. Hopefully we might get a clear sky tomorrow morning.

Mark

It does indeed look quite close to Saturn at the moment....very handy.

Wednesday morning is looking quite good for the South Coast. Tomorrow morning looks to be a major amount of rain for us.

Good luck Mark, be interesting to hear what you see.

[NickH]

I gotta hunch that this one is or has fragmented...the rapid brightening and changes in morphology are very interesting. I could be wrong of course, but it's an interesting comet whatever!

[russ]

Just watched Sky at Night, and they discussing this very thing, the rapid change in brightness etc. Will you be imaging it anytime soon Nick?

[NickH]

I have time on Faulkes North and South this week, but he ALT on this one may be below its operational limits. Needs short exposures with a large aperture this one..