Comet today

neutron_star6 · May 21, 2007

I believe I saw a comet today. I live in Tucson and I was looking at Venus and just south and to the left of Venus I believe I saw a comet. It has a bright streak and was around 920 pm arizona time. It was the most amazing thing Ive ever seen.

enigma10 · May 21, 2007

Do you mean a shooting star? <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> "An organism at war with itself is a doomed organism." - Carl Sagan </div>

MeteorWayne · May 21, 2007

Could have been a plane contrail as well. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> But the Krell forgot one thing John. Monsters. Monsters from the Id. I really, really, really, really miss the "first unread post" function </div>

heyscottie · May 21, 2007

neutron: Comets are visible for days, weeks, or even months in rare cases, and at any given time appear to be stationary in the sky. If what you saw was a fast moving streak that only took a couple of seconds at the most, I'd guess you either saw a meteor (shooting star) or a flare from a satellite (particularly the Iridium satellites). I do not intend to belittle your sighting -- because whatever you did see was obviously very cool. Keep looking up!

MeteorWayne · May 21, 2007

I checked for Iridiums near his location, and none showed up, but of course, Tucson is a big city <img src="/images/icons/smile.gif" /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> But the Krell forgot one thing John. Monsters. Monsters from the Id. I really, really, really, really miss the "first unread post" function </div>

heyscottie · May 21, 2007

It sounded more like a meteor anyway, but I thought I'd throw that out there...

MeteorWayne · May 21, 2007

It was a good idea, that's why I checked <img src="/images/icons/smile.gif" /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> But the Krell forgot one thing John. Monsters. Monsters from the Id. I really, really, really, really miss the "first unread post" function </div>

deapfreeze · May 21, 2007

My guess was meteor. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> William ( deapfreeze ) Hooperhttp://deapfreeze-amateur-astronomy.tk/ </div>

neutron_star6 · May 21, 2007

I believe it was a comet and not a shooting star because 1) it was there for far to long. If it was a shooting star or meteor it would have lasted for several minutes and 2) due to its slow movement and its appearance differs from that of a meteor.

MeteorWayne · May 21, 2007

Well, it wasn't a comet, that's for sure. There are no naked eye comets visible right now. So the best guess is a jet contrail, or possibly a persistent train from a fireball meteor that you didn't see. At that time, the sun was only 12 degrees below the horizon, and since you were looking west, you could have seen one illuminated from several hundred miles away at that angle. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> But the Krell forgot one thing John. Monsters. Monsters from the Id. I really, really, really, really miss the "first unread post" function </div>

neutron_star6 · May 21, 2007

I didnt use just my eyes. Of course it wouldnt be visible with just the naked eye as not many comets are. I had brought out my telescope last night and looked at venus. Then was looking around when I found it.

MeteorWayne · May 21, 2007

OK, well that's some more clues. Do you mean below and to the left of Venus? Technically, south was to the left of venus. What size telescope did you observe it with? <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> But the Krell forgot one thing John. Monsters. Monsters from the Id. I really, really, really, really miss the "first unread post" function </div>

MeteorWayne · May 21, 2007

There is a Mag +10.6 magnitude comet in Gemini, above venus. Last night it was between venus and the moon. "C/2007 E1 ( Garradd ) Although it was so faint as 13.8 mag in March (Mar. 17, Alan Hale), it brightened very rapidly in early April, and it reached to 8.7 mag on Apr. 10 (Werner hasubick). Then it faded a bit, and now it is 10.6 mag (May 16, Juan Jose Gonzalez). The comet is very large, extremely diffuse. It is fading, and getting lower rapidly now. It will be unobservable in late May. Date(TT) R.A. (2000) Decl. Delta r Elong. m1 Best Time(A, h) May 19 7 34.19 21 52.6 1.585 1.288 54 11.1 20:38 (100, 26) May 26 7 27.99 22 33.3 1.765 1.286 45 11.3 20:46 (105, 18) Data from here <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> But the Krell forgot one thing John. Monsters. Monsters from the Id. I really, really, really, really miss the "first unread post" function </div>

neutron_star6 · May 21, 2007

It couldnt have been a meteor. It was in the sky for far too long. I sat there for at least thirty minutes with my telescope before I went back inside.

neutron_star6 · May 21, 2007

So you mean what I saw was a comet? Because yeah it was in between the moon and venus. Below and to the left of venus. I saw it with a 60mm refracting telescope. And 700mm focal length.

MeteorWayne · May 21, 2007

No, the moon was above venus. Perhaps you mean in the telescope (which inverts the image) it was below venus, but in the sky that would have been above? Edit: the comet was supposed to be at this location. If you go straight down on the image from the moon, it was just to the right of where that would intersect the ecliptic (The thick diagonal line) <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> But the Krell forgot one thing John. Monsters. Monsters from the Id. I really, really, really, really miss the "first unread post" function </div>

neutron_star6 · May 21, 2007

So sorry that I did not clarify that better. What I meant was yes you are correct. No it wasnt inverted through my telescope, other than moving it left made the moon move right and that sort of inversion. I meant that what I saw, the comet through my telescope, was below Venus and to the left. The Moon was above both the comet and Venus yes. The comet was in between the two but below Venus. I hope that clarifies it better.

MeteorWayne · May 21, 2007

Well, if it stays clear, I'll try and take a look tonight. Perhaps I can spot exactly where the comet is (if I can see it). Venus will be in the same spot, the moon will be higher toward Saturn. I really need to nap to do meteor observing from moonset to dawn, but have some estate matters to take care of that might keep my nap delayed long enough. Wayne <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> But the Krell forgot one thing John. Monsters. Monsters from the Id. I really, really, really, really miss the "first unread post" function </div>

deapfreeze · May 21, 2007

If it's clear enough I might give it a try as well. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> William ( deapfreeze ) Hooperhttp://deapfreeze-amateur-astronomy.tk/ </div>

heyscottie · May 22, 2007

neutron: Sorry about our hasty conclusions! With a 60 mm telescope, you can see down to about magnitude 11 or so. I tried to find some NGS or Messier objects in that general area that somebody could easily mistake for a comet, but there really aren't many ... most objects in that area are open clusters. I'll take a look tonight if it is clear out, too...

MeteorWayne · May 22, 2007

Let me echo our apologies. In your first post you didn't mention the use of a scope, so we all assumed (and you know what that does) that you were talking of a naked eye object. We get a lot of people unfamiliar with the sky, so sometimes "The Astronomer" examines posts with too critical an eye. One of the Astronomer's elves <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> But the Krell forgot one thing John. Monsters. Monsters from the Id. I really, really, really, really miss the "first unread post" function </div>

heyscottie · May 22, 2007

Any further information you could provide would help, too... How bright was it? How big in the eyepiece? What eyepiece focal length were you using?

neutron_star6 · May 22, 2007

Its ok. I knew that it couldnt have been a meteor or as someone said a flare as both dont last as long as a comet would. I appreciate both of you though for looking into it. I do plan on becoming an astronomer so I do know a bit about space. To answer your questions heyscottie, it wasnt all that bright, very faint. . It was about in the eyepiece appearing 1-1.5cm if memory serves me right from nucleus to tail end. I was using a 2.5mm eyepiece.

heyscottie · May 22, 2007

Hmmm... Now I have to say that I'm getting a little suspicious... A 2.5 mm eyepiece on a 700 mm focal length telescope gives a magnification of 280X. Your aperture, 60 mm, should never be pushed greater than about 140X before you start getting serious loss of contrast and diffraction effects. Are you sure about your eyepiece focal length? Because I think it would be very difficult to see anything with the setup you have described.

neutron_star6 · May 22, 2007

I would have to take a picture of my telescope for you to see. That or I could search for the box that it came in. Which would you prefer?

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