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Pages: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | (show all) Tonk Postmaster Reged: 08/19/04 Loc: Leeds, UK, 54N Comet C/2007 W1 (Boattini) - coming soon       #2271768 - 03/21/08 05:07 AM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   This comet will start to become observable over the next dark of the moon period in late evening and midnight skies. Currently its just reaching mag 12 in Corvus and Crater, but will steadily rise to around mag 6 in late June 2008. The month of May will be one of the better periods to observe it (est mag 9 rising to 8). Unfortunately while at its brightest in June/July it will be in solar conjunction for around 6 weeks well south of the sun (meaning you will have to be stationed in Antartica below the antartic circle to observe it this bright while in Lepus and Eridanus). After solar conjunction in late July/August it becomes an morning object still easily visible (est mag 8) though fading as it tracks through Taurus/Cetus border and on upwards into Aries by the begining of September (est mag 10.5) See http://www.aerith.net/comet/catalog/2007W1/2007W1.html In summary there are two reasonable observing periods - April/May and mid July/August Post Extras:       Jure sage Reged: 06/14/03 Loc: Plavje, Slovenia Re: Comet C/2007 W1 (Boattini) - coming soon [Re: Tonk]       #2310462 - 04/07/08 04:55 AM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   This comet is now waaay ahead of predictions, right now at about magnitude 8.5 (predicted 10.5) and in binocular range. From dark skies it should easily be visible even in 7x50 or 10x50 binoculars. Should it retain this rate of brightening, it will be within naked eye range by the end of May and could become as bright as magnitude 3.5 when at its brightest. It may still be about magnitude 4.5 by the time it emerges in the dawn skies in early July. Looking at recent images, the comet looks very condensed and even sports a tail, indicating a healthy, dust-rich comet. We may be in for quite a treat. I hope to catch it tonight, if the skies clear. Clear skies! Jure Post Extras:       Tonk Postmaster Reged: 08/19/04 Loc: Leeds, UK, 54N Re: Comet C/2007 W1 (Boattini) - coming soon [Re: Jure]       #2310596 - 04/07/08 08:33 AM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   I managed to observe it briefly last week while staying at AstroAdventures in Devon UK. This site has 6.44 NELM skies which is problaby the best in the whole of England!! A further advantage is that the southern aspect here is totally black (my home site has city of Leeds 7 miles to south). The one complication was the weather didn't really cooperate during the entire week, even with bright blue-sky sunny days the nights rapidly fogged. Hence the brief observation compromised by fog. I do have images taken and I'll post this when processed tonight, but I'm not expecting too much here. Yes I had seen Seichii Yoshida's comments on comets-ml yesterday and also on his website pointing out the recent rapid rise in brightness. Its just a pity that we northern observers will miss it at its best in June. Other than my initial observation, I now don't expect to see this comet again until it swings north again after perihelion in late July onwards Post Extras:       Tonk Postmaster Reged: 08/19/04 Loc: Leeds, UK, 54N Re: Comet C/2007 W1 (Boattini) - coming soon [Re: Tonk]       #2311757 - 04/07/08 05:37 PM Attachment (148 downloads) Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   Here is the only image of Boattini that I managed to get on my AstroAdventures trip last week 10 x 5 mins ISO 800. 3rd April 2008 Centered on 00:50 UT. North to left, West up. Imaged through fog!! Post Extras:       nytecam Postmaster Reged: 08/20/05 Loc: London UK Re: Comet C/2007 W1 (Boattini) - coming soon [Re: Tonk]       #2314681 - 04/09/08 03:46 AM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   Well done Tony and through fog Quote: A further advantage is that the southern aspect here [Devon]is totally black (my home site has city of Leeds 7 miles to south). I feel for you - my megacity [London] is centred 10 miles due north so I'm actually in it but we get by Post Extras:       Jure sage Reged: 06/14/03 Loc: Plavje, Slovenia Re: Comet C/2007 W1 (Boattini) - coming soon [Re: nytecam]       #2314807 - 04/09/08 07:06 AM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   This comet is brightening at an extraordinary rate now, having reached magnitude 8.6 by April 6th. I've tried to fit some reasonable parameters of H0 and n for its photometric curve, but it's next to impossible. The comet was magnitude 13 at the beginning of March, but had already reached magnitude 10 by the final week of March and is now probably close to magnitude 8. This is amazing, an increase of five magnitudes over the course of five weeks! The closest I come to some kind of H0 and n values is: H0=+4.0 and n~10.5! This would put the comet at magnitude 6.5 on April 20th, brightening to magnitude 5.0 by May 1st and to magnitude 2.8 on May 15th. At it's brightest around June 25th, the comet would reach magnitude -1. The last time we've seen anything coming close to this brightness rise was with comet McNaught and even there it was nowhere near as fast. The rapid rise is probably caused by both the real increase in brightness and instrumental effect. As it is coming into binocular range more and more of its faint outer coma becomes visible, thus giving the apperance of a rapid rise. But IMHO an instrumental effect cannot account for the dramatic brightness rise alone. I would think much of the rise is real, which is further supported by the comet's distinct and condensed (active) nucleus. While it is possible, that the comet retains some of this rate of brightening, I would think it will slow down. Its orbit suggest a dynamically new comet on its first journey from the Oort cloud into the inner Solar system and such comets tend to brighten very rapidly while stil far out. Closer to the Sun their rate of brightening slows down and they sometime fizzle. Some such comets: - Kohoutek in 1974: expected to reach magnitude -4 or so, reached magnitude 0 - Austin in 1989: expected to reach at least magnitude 0, never got beyond magnitude 5 - C/2002 T7 (LINEAR): looked really healthy, fully expected to reach magnitude -1, then just about turned off for a month or so, reached magnitude 2. The comet will probably begin to slow down around mid-April as it crosses 1.5 a.u. heliocentric distance, where water production takes over as the main brightening mechanism. However, while improbable, I'm still hoping the comet surprises like McNaught did Clear skies! Jure Post Extras:       Tonk Postmaster Reged: 08/19/04 Loc: Leeds, UK, 54N Re: Comet C/2007 W1 (Boattini) - coming soon [Re: Jure]       #2314834 - 04/09/08 07:43 AM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   Thanks for the heads up Jure. Here's hoping! Nice to have some comet excitement again . Even if the best bits are happening south of the sun. I shall be waiting in July in the morning twilight Hi Maurice, yes I guess you have a tough time were you are. I highly recommend AstroAdventures for a week of dark skies luxury with big scopes and within easy reach of fabulous sea cliff walks etc. I took a Sky Quality Meter with me this time and got consitent readings of 21.61 mags per square arc second (6.44 NELM). For the southern UK that's dark. Typically I did get some clear skies but long after the decent comets had set! That fog was only a few meters thick but fixed to the ground . Just my luck that a sourtherly high pressure system had set in driving fog development. Post Extras:       Jure sage Reged: 06/14/03 Loc: Plavje, Slovenia Re: Comet C/2007 W1 (Boattini) - coming soon [Re: Tonk]       #2314909 - 04/09/08 08:52 AM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   Yes, it's so much fun having an exciting comet in the skies! For us at 46N the comet would become visible in morning twilight around July 8th at about magnitude 0. Wouldn't that be fun? But even if it doesn't develope as favourably, it could still be about magnitude 4 at that time. CS!Jure Post Extras:       apartment42 member Reged: 03/15/08 Loc: Toronto, Canada Re: Comet C/2007 W1 (Boattini) - coming soon [Re: Jure]       #2330363 - 04/16/08 12:08 AM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   I missed ALL celestial events in '07, so I doubly hope this one has a few tricks its waiting to reveal To say that I'll be following this one 'closely' is putting it mildly. Too bad I'm a 'bit' too far north, though. -Alex Post Extras:       Acheron scholastic sledgehammer Reged: 08/07/05 Loc: Croatia, Velika Gorica Re: Comet C/2007 W1 (Boattini) - coming soon [Re: apartment42]       #2345900 - 04/23/08 03:12 AM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   Are there any new brightness estimates for this comet? I would like to catch him tomorrow with my 8" or 12" scope. Post Extras:       kruno professor emeritus Reged: 11/10/05 Loc: Croatia Re: Comet C/2007 W1 (Boattini) - coming soon [Re: Acheron]       #2345922 - 04/23/08 03:55 AM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   Apr.26 8m3 Post Extras:       Nick Lloyd He asked for it Reged: 10/24/06 Loc: cincinnati Re: Comet C/2007 W1 (Boattini) - coming soon [Re: kruno]       #2349797 - 04/24/08 06:22 PM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   What is 8m3? Post Extras:       Tonk Postmaster Reged: 08/19/04 Loc: Leeds, UK, 54N Re: Comet C/2007 W1 (Boattini) - coming soon [Re: Nick Lloyd]       #2350600 - 04/25/08 03:22 AM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   magnitude 8.3 Post Extras:       Nick Lloyd He asked for it Reged: 10/24/06 Loc: cincinnati Re: Comet C/2007 W1 (Boattini) - coming soon [Re: Tonk]       #2354368 - 04/27/08 02:45 AM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   thank you Post Extras:       OldDeadOne Pooh-Bah Reged: 09/09/06 Loc: West Virginia Re: Comet C/2007 W1 (Boattini) - coming soon [Re: Nick Lloyd]       #2354512 - 04/27/08 07:52 AM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   I just wanna see a comet with a nice long tail Post Extras:       stevecoe "Astronomical Tourist" Reged: 04/24/04 Loc: Arizona, USA Re: Comet C/2007 W1 (Boattini) - coming soon [Re: OldDeadOne]       #2354879 - 04/27/08 12:18 PM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   Howdy all; I looked at Comet Boattini last night under mediocre skies and in the 6" refractor with a 14mm eyepiece it was about magnitude 8 as Kruno said and had a brighter middle. I did not see a distinct nucleus. I will add my name to the list hoping that this comet brightens up nicely in the next few months and sports a good tail. We shall see. Clear skies; Steve Coe Post Extras:       Acheron scholastic sledgehammer Reged: 08/07/05 Loc: Croatia, Velika Gorica Re: Comet C/2007 W1 (Boattini) - coming soon [Re: stevecoe]       #2356085 - 04/27/08 09:30 PM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   Hi I've observed comet few hours ago with 12" scope. It showed coma about 6' in diameter with central elongated bright region. No nucleus or condensation detected. I will post sketch soon. Clear sky Post Extras:       Jure sage Reged: 06/14/03 Loc: Plavje, Slovenia Re: Comet C/2007 W1 (Boattini) - coming soon [Re: Acheron]       #2356517 - 04/28/08 02:14 AM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   I also viewed the comet yesterday with 11x70, 11x80 and 25x100 binoculars under a pretty good sky. It's quite low over the south for observers this far north, but still at a useful elevation for observations. It looked like a large 10-13' diffuse cloud with a slight central condensation, no tail. It was easy in 11x70, it would probably have been visible in 10x50's had I had them at hand. Its magnitude was about 7.0-7.5, I'll post a more precise estimate once I have time to calculate it from the data. Clear skies! Jure Post Extras:       Tonk Postmaster Reged: 08/19/04 Loc: Leeds, UK, 54N Re: Comet C/2007 W1 (Boattini) - coming soon [Re: Jure]       #2361185 - 04/30/08 03:42 AM Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   Keep the observations coming I'm in armchair mode now having to sit it out until late July when the comets declination gets higher Post Extras:       Jeremy Perez Carpal Tunnel Reged: 08/12/04 Loc: Flagstaff, Arizona, USA Re: Comet C/2007 W1 (Boattini) - coming soon [Re: Tonk]       #2363579 - 05/01/08 04:57 AM Attachment (93 downloads) Edit   Reply   Quote Quick Reply   Although this comet would have definitely benefited from a trip outside of town to get away from some low altitude light pollution, I was still able to find it from my front yard. The comet showed up as a very gradual brightening with a very subtle concentration at the core. It is a slow mover, so I was only able to track about 2 arc minutes worth of movement over the 45 minute span I noted its position. After that, it had sunk too far into the southwestern light pollution to observe further. The best part of the observation was the beautifully red carbon star that shared the low power field with the comet tonight. I couldn't resist researching its identity (V Hydrae) and sketching what turned out to be a double star with a carbon star as its primary: V HYA (BU 1428). Additional details and labeled rollover graphic can be found here: C/2007 W1 (Boattini) Post Extras:       Pages: 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | (show all)

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