Scott Beith
SRF
Reged: 11/26/03
Posts: 33102
Loc: Gulfport, MS
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Bill,
It is an easy find - thanks to Robert's charts.
It took me about 45 seconds to find it while looking directly above a streetlight.
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  Scott
"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing." -- Edmund Burke.
"People sleep peaceably in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf." -- George Orwell
"The measure of a man’s greatness is not determined by what he accomplishes for himself, but by what he accomplishes for others.” -- Some Bald Guy
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ArizonaScott
Postmaster
Reged: 04/29/04
Posts: 5033
Loc: Phoenix, AZ
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Quote:
It is an easy find - thanks to Robert's charts.
Where can I find that chart, Scott? I've got a new pair of binos coming today and want to take a look at Machholz to break them in.
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Scott
10" LX200 Classic, Konus 200, Orion ST80, ETX90 OTA, 60mm Celestron alt-az, Obie 20x80's, Meade 10x50's
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Scott Beith
SRF
Reged: 11/26/03
Posts: 33102
Loc: Gulfport, MS
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http://www.cloudynights.com/ubbthreads/showflat.php/Cat/0/Number/276238/page/0/view/collapsed/sb/5/o/all/fpart/1
Here is the thread.
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Scott
"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing." -- Edmund Burke.
"People sleep peaceably in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf." -- George Orwell
"The measure of a man’s greatness is not determined by what he accomplishes for himself, but by what he accomplishes for others.” -- Some Bald Guy
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ArizonaScott
Postmaster
Reged: 04/29/04
Posts: 5033
Loc: Phoenix, AZ
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Thanks Scott  Should be an easy catch in my clear eastern skies.
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Scott
10" LX200 Classic, Konus 200, Orion ST80, ETX90 OTA, 60mm Celestron alt-az, Obie 20x80's, Meade 10x50's
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Special Ed
Post Laureate
Reged: 05/18/03
Posts: 3545
Loc: Greenbrier Co., WV 38N, 80W
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Hi Bill and Scott(s),
Just remember when searching for Comet Machholz that Robert's chart is dated Dec 9-12. The comet will have moved a couple of degrees to the NW by now. It has moved over 8 degrees since my last observation on 5 Dec.
You'll find it with binocs but key off of a landmark star like Rigel or epsilon Lep to put you in the ballpark immediately. This chart from Skyhound might help.
Good luck!
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Michael Rosolina
8" f/10 Orange Tube SCT
4.25" f/4.2 Astroscan Reflector
SVP 3.6" f/13.6 CA Reflector
40mm PST f/10
APM Germany HD 15x70 binoculars
Canon 12x36 IS II binoculars
Mark I Eyeball
My CN Gallery
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Scott Beith
SRF
Reged: 11/26/03
Posts: 33102
Loc: Gulfport, MS
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Thanks Michael. I jumped from Rigel to Machholz easily in binos. I simply swept the binos from Rigel in the direction of the comet and it jumped right out at me.
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Scott
"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing." -- Edmund Burke.
"People sleep peaceably in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf." -- George Orwell
"The measure of a man’s greatness is not determined by what he accomplishes for himself, but by what he accomplishes for others.” -- Some Bald Guy
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ArizonaScott
Postmaster
Reged: 04/29/04
Posts: 5033
Loc: Phoenix, AZ
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Thanks Michael  Even better for me since Orion isn't placed well until about 9:00 PM. Mr. Beith has caught it a little earlier. Excellent observing, sir! I'll be heading out in a few minutes to give it a look-see.
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Scott
10" LX200 Classic, Konus 200, Orion ST80, ETX90 OTA, 60mm Celestron alt-az, Obie 20x80's, Meade 10x50's
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djeber2
sage
Reged: 07/02/04
Posts: 493
Loc: Ohio
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I was able to see the comet again tonight. I got very lucky - caught about a 20 min break in the clouds. this was the first clear skies here in 9 days. Comet is clearly brightening from a couple weeks ago. Observed it in my 90mm short tube refractor and 15x70 binoc. Was able to continue seeing it for awhile thru the clouds as they began to roll back in. I was just glad to finally have the chance to observe again even if it was only 20 min. 
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Don
1 Dob: Hardin DSH10
4 Small scopes: Celestron ED80, Meade 114NT/500 4.5", Orion 102 Mak, Orion 100mm Astroview
2 Classic Scopes: 4.25" Edmunds reflector, Sears 60mm Discovery
4 Binoculars: 15x70 Celestron skymaster, 10x42 Celestron Regal, 8x40 Nikon Action, 10x50 Orion Binoculars
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moynihan
Carpal Tunnel
Reged: 07/22/03
Posts: 1517
Loc: Wisconsin
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Looked at Machholz at about 04:15 UT. Transparency good, seeing poor.
8.5x44 binos:
I would estimate the magnitude at about 4 1/2, but may be over estimating due to light pollution. Appearance very similar to a bright globular cluster through a 11x80 finder or bino. condensation surrounded by soft glow, but deformed from round at about 350 degrees, slightest hint of fadding off in that direction. Appox. 40 minutes in diameter.
80mm f/6.25, @ 19x:
Definite tail, though very faint, at about 350 degrees. Other side ( 45-135 degrees) sharply curved and elongated, Bow-shock like, but such very faint. Center very condensed but no "stellar" nucleus seen.
80mm f/6.25 @ 40x:
Bow-shock look seems to be there. Coma nearly fills fov (1.2 degrees)definite slight tail at 350 degrees p.a.
This one could turn out to be quite a sight!
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"Gosh, you've... really got some nice toys here"
Dual mount/ambient temperature Hominid Widefield Photon Collectors®
Pleistocene™ ˝ watt Wetware Integration Unit.
entia non sunt multiplicanda praeter necessitatem
Edited by moynihan (12/15/04 12:21 AM)
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xyZo
member
Reged: 12/08/04
Posts: 98
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Finally a break in the weather & caught sight of comet Machholz tonight! Very easy star hop using Rigel & Mintaka as pointers. Through a pair of Canon 12x36 IS II binocs, poor seeing, looked like a fuzzy core, no visible tail. It was worth staying up late. 
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Ken
XT10i/MN56/80ED
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beruberu
member
Reged: 08/14/04
Posts: 94
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Where can I find that chart, Scott? I've got a new pair of binos coming today and want to take a look at Machholz to break them in.
Hello,
You may have a look at my ephemirides for december at http://astrosurf.com/skylover/ephemerides/index.htm
They are in french but.... for charts and best time it will be OK... I think.....
Made with the very very good astrosoft SkyTools 2 http://www.skyhound.com/ where you can also find infos
Have a good day
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Greetings From SWITZERLAND Philippe HAAKE
www.astrosurf.com/skylover/album/index.htm
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Bill Grass
Prince Regent
Reged: 10/07/03
Posts: 11652
Loc: Denham Springs, LA
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Thanks, Michael! I'll certainly try to make it outside tonight with my 15x70s.
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ArizonaScott
Postmaster
Reged: 04/29/04
Posts: 5033
Loc: Phoenix, AZ
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Thanks Phillipe! I used the Skyhound chart from Michael's link to locate Machholz last night. I swept over it quite a few times, expecting to see something a little more compact and bright. Then I picked up a large, diffuse ball with a brighter nucleus. Very cool, and a nice way to christen my new 10x50's 
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Scott
10" LX200 Classic, Konus 200, Orion ST80, ETX90 OTA, 60mm Celestron alt-az, Obie 20x80's, Meade 10x50's
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Special Ed
Post Laureate
Reged: 05/18/03
Posts: 3545
Loc: Greenbrier Co., WV 38N, 80W
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Hi Scott,
Glad you picked up the comet for first light in your binocs. Now that you've seen it once it'll be much easier to spot in the future.
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Michael Rosolina
8" f/10 Orange Tube SCT
4.25" f/4.2 Astroscan Reflector
SVP 3.6" f/13.6 CA Reflector
40mm PST f/10
APM Germany HD 15x70 binoculars
Canon 12x36 IS II binoculars
Mark I Eyeball
My CN Gallery
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ArizonaScott
Postmaster
Reged: 04/29/04
Posts: 5033
Loc: Phoenix, AZ
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I'm just anxious to see what happens in 2005 with brightness & tail length. Machholz is one of the better comets I've had the opportunity to view. Thanks again for the tips & chart Michael!
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Scott
10" LX200 Classic, Konus 200, Orion ST80, ETX90 OTA, 60mm Celestron alt-az, Obie 20x80's, Meade 10x50's
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desertstars
Deja moo
Reged: 11/05/03
Posts: 30057
Loc: Tucson, AZ
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I managed to observe two nights running this past weekend, and didn't think about the comet until Monday. 
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Tom W.
SVP8 'She turned me into a 3-legged Newt' EQ
Ralph, the All-Purpose 102mm Refractor
Under the Desert Stars
Alcohol and calculus do not mix. Please don't drink and derive.
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Special Ed
Post Laureate
Reged: 05/18/03
Posts: 3545
Loc: Greenbrier Co., WV 38N, 80W
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Hi Folks,
Ten days after my last observation, I got another look at Comet Machholz tonight 15 Dec 04 at 8:30-8:45 PM EST (0130-0145 UT 16 Dec). Seeing and transparency were both in the average range. The wind was calm and the temp was 18deg F. (-8 C). The comet's altitude was ~22deg. The Moon was on the W horizon.
Through the 10x50 binocs the comet was easy to find by drawing an imaginary line through Alnitak and Rigel in Orion and carrying the line ~12deg SW from Rigel. Machholz appeared through the binocs as a large fuzzy blob with the hint of a brighter core. I estimate the size at ~15-20 arcminutes. No elongation or thin tail was detected. A very nice comet!
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Michael Rosolina
8" f/10 Orange Tube SCT
4.25" f/4.2 Astroscan Reflector
SVP 3.6" f/13.6 CA Reflector
40mm PST f/10
APM Germany HD 15x70 binoculars
Canon 12x36 IS II binoculars
Mark I Eyeball
My CN Gallery
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ArizonaScott
Postmaster
Reged: 04/29/04
Posts: 5033
Loc: Phoenix, AZ
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Whew, I feel much surer after your observation Michael. I didn't see any sign of a tail. Just a large, round, diffuse glow with a slightly brighter nucleus. I'll keep an eye on Machholz in the months to come, and hope for brightening and bigger changes.
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Scott
10" LX200 Classic, Konus 200, Orion ST80, ETX90 OTA, 60mm Celestron alt-az, Obie 20x80's, Meade 10x50's
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Carol L
Reged: 07/05/04
Posts: 5880
Loc: Tomahawk, WI 45N//89W
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It's big!
Couldn't wait for it to clear the trees so I walked out towards the road with the 7x35 binos last night [12/14] and nabbed it within 15 seconds. It was an eyeball object although averted vision was needed because of the glow from two towns to my south.
When it transited at max altitude later on [27 degrees], I used the 22x100's but saw no hint of the tail I was looking forward to seeing. Maybe it needed more power or altitude, maybe the bad transparency gobbled it up, I don't know. This one will be interesting to watch as time goes by, though.
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 *Step-by-Step Lunar Sketching*
CN Gallery
Photo Gallery
8"SCT ~ 120achro ~ 90Mak ~ 80ST ~ 11x70s ~ 22x100s
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Bill Grass
Prince Regent
Reged: 10/07/03
Posts: 11652
Loc: Denham Springs, LA
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Saw it!  I took my 15x70s out for a couple of minutes. I panned a little south from Rigel, and BAM, there it was. It was just how other folks have described it...very fuzzy with a brighter core. I didn't see a tail, either.
Comets are cool! 
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