17 replies to this topic

[Aquarellia]

Hi

I had a lot of fun observing this morning nice comet

All the story is in the sketching forum

 

https://www.cloudyni...020-s3-erasmus/

 

Clear and virus free sky !

Michel

[Rich (RLTYS)]

Took this image on the 17th with the Slooh C3 Astrograph. S3 Erasmus has developed a nice reddish dust tail.

Attached Thumbnails

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[Special Ed]

Nice pic, Rich.     I made an observational sketch and report posted here.  I didn't see a tail.

[Dave Mitsky]

I had planned on traveling to the Naylor Observatory this morning to attempt a sighting of Comet C/2020 S3 (Erasmus). All of the weather forecast sites, including the astronomy-based ones, that I consulted had predicted clear skies. When I got up and checked the satellite maps and looked outside, however, all I saw was clouds.

It won't be clear Wednesday and Thursday mornings and the comet will be too low in the eastern sky at dawn to observe very shortly.

https://www.spacewea...map_25nov20.png

https://www.spacewea...map_26nov20.png

[KdeKyurem]

This comet is far beyond my observing capacities. Looking forward for your photos.

[39.1N84.5W]

Will this become a decent evening comet after the turn?

[Aquarellia]

Will this become a decent evening comet after the turn?

Hi

Alas no,

Carl Hergenrother says :

Erasmus could be between 6th and 7th magnitude before it is lost in the glare of dawn towards the end of the month. Though it will be invisible from the ground, spacecraft such as SOHO may observe the comet starting a few days after its December 12 perihelion at 0.40 au with the comet as bright as 5th magnitude at that time. Unfortunately, ground-based observers will be out of luck till April 2021 when Erasmus should be too faint for visual observation.

Michel

[SNH]

Saw the comet this morning in 8x56 binoculars and placed it at +6.9. It's slowly getting lower and into brighter sky... we'll see how long I can keep an eye on it like this

Scott

[Mike C]

Great to read these reports. I'm hoping to find and image this comet on Sunday morning, when it's expected to be clear.

 

I have a beach a couple of miles away with a low horizon towards the southeast, which should be a good vantage point. Leaving home before morning twilight, in search of a low horizon will bring back memories of those exiting mornings observing NEOWISE in July  .

 

Clear skies, all!

 

Regards, Mike.

[SNH]

I couldn't easily make a good magnitude estimate, so I skipped doing it. But I did see the comet in my 130mm reflector and at 59x got to see that it has a narrow but short tail trailing away from the comet. If all goes well, I might be able to keep sight of the comet for another week or so.

 

Scott

[39.1N84.5W]

Going for it Sunday morning in the 8" refractor. Nippy temperatures but still reasonable!

[Aquarellia]

I couldn't easily make a good magnitude estimate, so I skipped doing it. But I did see the comet in my 130mm reflector and at 59x got to see that it has a narrow but short tail trailing away from the comet. If all goes well, I might be able to keep sight of the comet for another week or so.

 

Scott

I understand that such an estimation is not a piece of cake

 

For my opinion, the best paper to understand how to do it and all possible methods is here:

https://skyandtelesc...ets-brightness/

 

For your information the last estimation in COBS is 6.8.

Here the last magnitude curve:

 

 

Michel

[Mike C]

Unfortunately, my one clear morning (Sunday) is now expected to have high cloud, mist and visibility rated as "poor". Hardly ideal for a comet around magnitude 7 and right on the horizon at the end of astronomical twilight!

 

Good luck to all those attempting observations.

 

Regards, Mike.

[angus63]

I am pretty sure that I saw it through my 20 X 80 binoculars right before the sky got too bright. I spotted a more blurry object in contrast to other stars in the area.

[39.1N84.5W]

Uff da. My laser pointer died on my finder bracket. So after much scanning in the atmospheric soup I found it this morning. At 38x it looked like an unresolved globular. 65x showed the beginning of a very stubby tail. Considering the icy dew that I was battling as well this wasn't much fun to observe. And by the time it cleared the soup the sky was getting brighter from rising sun.

[SNH]

Saw the comet again. Yikes, that thing is dropping toward the horizon. I might not see it anymore after a week unless I haul my telescope to a tree-less horizon.

 

Scott

[Aquarellia]

Well done !  You make a good job !

For me the comet is much too low now, I'm 45°N... look my last image, nov 21st :

 

 

Michel

[SNH]

Okay, so I saw the comet again this morning. It was right at the start of nautical twilight. But due to its brightness and how far into the brighter sky it is, I could only see it in my 130mm reflector. It appeared a little dimmer than the +6.4 star nearby. A tough observation for me for sure considering I had to set up in my cow pasture to (just!) get my best horizon.

 

Scot