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Mr. Bill
Post Laureate
Reged: 02/09/05
Posts: 3149
Loc: Just passing through.....
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Here I am in the wilds of central Nevada surveying MW starfields with my BT100s when I come across a faint glow with core between Aquila 38 Mu and 30 Delta.
Put my 13 Ethos in my 8 inch f/5 on it and it sure looks like a comet as there are no objects nearby on my charts.
Make a sketch of the starfield and go on with my work scouting binocular fov (2.7 degree) for photographing with a 200mm Fluorite Canon telephoto in preparation for putting together a photographic atlas aimed at giant binocular views under dark skies.
Next night check and it moved against the fieldstars...it's definitely a comet! Unfortunately, I have no ephermeris to check what comets are visible and no cell phone service for that matter.
Well, to be honest this is not the first comet I have "discovered" (recovered).....probably number 6 or 7.
I figured that as bright and in its location it was well known and so I wasn't surprised when I returned Saturday to find that it was C/2006 W3 Christensen (hey, only missed it by 3 years) 
Anyways, always exciting to confirm a comet "find"....maybe one of these days it will be a discovery.
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10x50 Fujinon binos + 16x70 Fujinon binos + UA UniMount
Oberwerk BT100 45 degree +24mm Pans + Hercules fork mount
120mm f/5 Orion achromat + Moonlite focuser
130mm TMB 130SS f/7 APO refractor
140mm f/5.7 Vixen NeoAchro Petzvel refractor
150mm f/8 homemade achromat
8 inch newt with f/5 Swayze mirror
10 inch f/4.7 Orion newt + Paracorr
15 inch f/5 Discovery "Galactic Cannon"
Member IDA
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edwincjones
Postmaster
Reged: 04/10/04
Posts: 5671
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congratulations,
We will just call it comet mr bill
edj
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n w arkansas
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milt
professor emeritus
Reged: 09/13/04
Posts: 556
Loc: Arizona
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Quote:
always exciting to confirm a comet "find"....maybe one of these days it will be a discovery.
Great catch, Bill - keep at it and maybe one day it will be. There's a lady in our club who regularly uses this method for observing. She surfs around a constellation until she discovers something and then goes to the charts to try to figure out what it is. She gets a kick out of it and so do we. 
Milt
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hallelujah
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 07/14/06
Posts: 2157
Loc: Rocky Mt. High Colorado
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Mr. Bill,
I remember when I first "discovered" Comet Holmes, seems like almost two years ago.
I had no idea what it was until I shared with the folks on CN.
Pretty exciting nonetheless. Keep up the good work! 
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Celestron Traveler 8x25 & B. & H. 8x40 FC JAPAN & Revue 10x50 CF Porro FC JAPAN &
Pentax 12x50 PCF WP II FMC & Pentax 16x60 PCF WP FMC &
Pentax 20x60 PCF WP II FMC & Orion 12x63 Mini Giant FMC JAPAN &
SPECTRUM I 20x65 FC JAPAN &
Orion 15x70 Little Giant II FMC JAPAN & Orion 20x70 Little Giant II FMC JAPAN
Orion 16x80 Giant FMC JAPAN & Orion 30x80 MEGAView FMC JAPAN
Barska 30x80 X-Trail LW FC & Burgess Optical Series II 20x90 FMC
Hallelujah! For the LORD God Omnipotent Reigneth
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ronharper
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 02/14/06
Posts: 1276
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Bill, way to track it down. Basically, to be a comet hunter, you have to know the sky really well, and it seems you do.
Mark tipped us off to this baby as it was cruising by Sagitta a few weeks back when he was breaking in his new 15x70. In my 10x50, it was a miserable disappointment, or a superb challenge, however you like to paint these things. I might take me another look tonight, thanks to you.
Ron
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ronharper
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 02/14/06
Posts: 1276
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Bill, way to track it down. Basically, to be a comet hunter, you have to know the sky really well, and it seems you do.
Mark tipped us off to this baby as it was cruising by Sagitta a few weeks back when he was breaking in his new 15x70. In my 10x50, it was miserable disappointment, or a superb challenge, however you like to paint these things. I might take me another look tonight, thanks to you.
Ron
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ronharper
Pooh-Bah
Reged: 02/14/06
Posts: 1276
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There it was blazing forth 1deg NW of delta(30), swept up in 16x70, visible in 10x50, and confirmed by ephemeris. Thanks Bill.
Ron
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Mark9473
Post Laureate
Reged: 07/21/05
Posts: 3217
Loc: 51°N 4°E
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Wow, I had completely forgotten about this comet. This evening is the first that's reasonably clear since weeks, so I took this opportunity to look for it.
I found it very hard to spot! Ron, whatever it is you're taking to make your vision peak to a level where this comet is blazing in your 16x70, don't stop taking it - and please share the recipe 
If it wasn't for a detailed CdC chart I made, I could have missed it altogether in my 15x60. It took a while of dark-adapting before I could comfortably see it. Still great to spot one of these celestial visitors, even if this one isn't very impressive.
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Mark
Leica 8x20; Vixen 8x42; Swift 8.5x44, 10x50 and 20x80; TS 7x50; Orion 15x63; Docter 15x60
WO Megrez II 80 FD + Baader 90° T2 Amici
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