Skywatchers' Journal

[Turtle]

so will it be visible to the naked eye?

 

That's not clear to me. :doh: No really.:hihi: Try as I might, I did not succesfully identify any of the fragments last night using my 8x35 binoculars. I don't know what view (if any?:shrug: ) you have from Austrailia JayQ. Is your professor(s) talking about it? The closeest approach is between May 26 & 29th if I recall.

Anyone else taken a look at this comet? Keep looking skyward.:hihi:

[Jay-qu]

I said to my lecturer in passing "There is some interesting things in the sky this more, ey?" his reply "Is there?" apparently he is to busy to do any real astronomy atm bogged down on the theory!

[Turtle]

I said to my lecturer in passing "There is some interesting things in the sky this more, ey?" his reply "Is there?" apparently he is to busy to do any real astronomy atm bogged down on the theory!

 

Acknowledged. Did you check a sky map for viewing from your location D'nunder? The news did a report again tonight on it & I plan to try again. This time it's the Sony HandyCam with Nightshot on a tripod. My housemate hasn't unpacked the telescope yet, but I may try & talk him into letting me use his computer drive tripod to mount my camera on. Then I can be sure the blurry image I post is the correct object.:eek: :hyper:

 

Took-a-Look Turtle

[Turtle]

Here's a good set of instructions on using digital camera to photograph Moon meteor impacts as well as general space photography with digital cameras.

http://www.lpl.arizona.edu/%7Erhill/alpo/lunarstuff/observing

[Queso]

Gosh Damn,

Jupiter's @^*#bright.

[Turtle]

http://www.spaceweather.com/

 

It's now glowing like a 5th magnitude star, dimly visible to the unaided eye from rural areas.

 

There's no danger of a collision; at closest approach on May 12th - 14th

 

Either they have moved up the date of close approach or I and/or my source for a later date miscalculated. At any rate -11,000 mph in this case- the camera is ready & midnight is the time.

Jupiter is bright indeed. Shall I get a blurry shot of that raging orb & inner moons?:hyper:

[Queso]

If you can,

I wish I had a telescope I want to check it out

so bad!

[Jay-qu]

Acknowledged. Did you check a sky map for viewing from your location D'nunder? The news did a report again tonight on it & I plan to try again. This time it's the Sony HandyCam with Nightshot on a tripod. My housemate hasn't unpacked the telescope yet, but I may try & talk him into letting me use his computer drive tripod to mount my camera on. Then I can be sure the blurry image I post is the correct object.:eek: :hyper:

 

Took-a-Look Turtle

I just had a look at my map and its not looking good - it is within viewing but will be very low on the horizon.. to low im afraid - I will report back when I have more, but unfortunatly looks like another cloudy one tonight :Music:

[Turtle]

Last nights camera viewing of the comet went with ups & downs. Up, I believe I had one fragment in my sights based on its speed compared to stars in the field. Down, the image is far too pixelated to make it of any use to post or print.

Jupiter with the camera aslo unfit to print or post.

Tonight we have high clouds, but I have borrowed more powerful binoculars to give viewing the comet another shot. 10X50 binoculars.

Anyone else trying to personally view the comet?:naughty: :confused:

[Queso]

I can't see it. :confused:

[Jay-qu]

trying but to no avail.. cloudy again last night and looks the same for tonight as well!

 

10x50 is my tool of choice :confused: it should give you a fine view, only problem is you cant take pics with them..

[Michaelangelica]

And for those of us on the other half of the planet:

 

==== IN THE SKY THIS WEEK ===

Comet 73P is now visible to the unaided eye under dark skies. The comet is at its brightest by the end of this week, but bright moonlight will make it difficult to see without binoculars. The best time to see 73P is around 3-4am this week. The Full Moon is Saturday May 13. In the early evening, ruddy Mars is in Gemini, not far from Saturn, which is easily spotted in the northeastern sky as a pale gold object, within binocular range of the Beehive cluster. Jupiter rises in the late evening and is the brightest object above the eastern horizon. Now is a good time to beg or borrow a small telescope to watch it. In the dawn sky bright Venus is readily seen above the eastern horizon. On the late evening/early morning of May 14-15 the bright red star Antares will be covered by the Moon. For comet spotting maps and occultation times see:

http://home.mira.net/~reynella/skywatch/ssky.htm

[Jay-qu]

and there is still bloody clouds! but they are apparently meant to be breaking over the weekend - lets hope the weather man is right, otherwise he gets it!

[InfiniteNow]

Last night with the full moon and Jupiter beside it was amazing. The first time I've had a good view of the stars from my new house.

 

Now, it feels like home. :confused:

[Jay-qu]

still clouds :confused: though I could see the moon through them, so they must be thining!

[Turtle]

still clouds :hihi: though I could see the moon through them, so they must be thining!

Partly cloudy here as well & the comet didn't come into view until 3am; fell asleep before then.

I did set my camera to look South out my window & feeding the image to my TV. I used the NightShot infrared mode hoping to snag some video of a meteor. The Moon & Jupiter dominated together in the field for a couple hours & threw some interesting shadows on the passing clouds; I made no compensation for exposure (NightShot may not allow it anyway:shrug: )

I'll try & give it all another shot tonight/tomorrow morning.:confused:

[Queso]

man last night was NOT the full moon.

I was entranced by it, too.

But look at luna tonight.

She'll be even more magnificent.