546 replies to this topic

[timelapser]

The sky won't be as dark when the comet sets onto a mountain as when the comet sets onto the true horizon.  So a lower horizon helps.

 

But the lower the comet is the greater the atmospheric extinction.  So that hurts.

 

But I'd expect the darker sky to win over more extinction so a lower horizon would be better.

 

I'm trying Iona jetty park in Richmond if you know it.

Edited by timelapser, 10 October 2024 - 12:38 PM.

[Starhunter249]

Could be c/2023 A3 or could be Venus. It may be too close to be Venus. So it’s likely that you caught it. I think the professionals reported comet magnitude greater than -4 today.

[RMay]

Ummmm, I’m calling that shot a visual anomaly; I’m dealing with some poorly placed jet contrails and a few light clouds at the moment, but until I can replicate it I don’t think it’s a catch.

Ron

Edited: I removed my recent image post.

Edited by RMay, 10 October 2024 - 02:39 PM.

[lanndonkane]

I’ve tried catching it at sunset yesterday and today, with binoculars. Can’t find it.

[emflocater]

I’ve tried catching it at sunset yesterday and today, with binoculars. Can’t find it.

Same here this evening after sunset with 10 x 50 binoculars. CDC has it about 7 degrees from the Sun, however was able to see 8 planes in the same area where the comet could of been. These planes faked me out with their short contrails! Any-who, the horizon was too bright and what looked like hazy mist clouds even though the rest of sky was very clear. I will wait until the 14th of October and thereafter to get a much better view of the comet since it will be about 21 degrees above the horizon, increasing about 3 degrees each night and diminishing about 1/10th to 2/10th  of magnitude each night. On October 14th, the comet should be around magnitude 3. Hopefully I can catch a clear night on the 14th and or several days after to snap a pic of the comet! Never know what weather we will get here in NY State!

 

Cheers

Don

[Larry Geary]

I was out looking for the comet from sunset until an hour after sunset and couldn't find it. Either I was looking in the wrong place or the comet isn't as bright as some say. I've seen wildly different magnitude estimates, from -4.4 to +2.7 (Sky Safari). I found Venus easily and Sky Safari says it's magnitude -4.0 now, so if the comet was near the brighter estimates I should have seen it.

 

After I packed up my equipment I stood up and found myself facing a bright red aurora. I stayed and watched the display until it faded away about an hour later. I haven't seen one this bright since 1976.

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Edited by Larry Geary, 10 October 2024 - 11:28 PM.

[Wolfwatcher]

I was out looking for the comet from sunset until an hour after sunset and couldn't find it. Either I was looking in the wrong place or the comet isn't as bright as some say. I've seen wildly different magnitude estimates, from -4.4 to +2.7 (Sky Safari). I found Venus easily and Sky Safari say it's magnitude -4.0 now, so if the comet was near the brighter estimates I should have seen it.

 

After I packed up my equipment I stood up and found myself facing a bright red aurora. I stayed and watched the display until it faded away about an hour later. I haven't seen one this bright since 1976.

Thanks for your post and photo. Seeing this, I rushed out in the backyard in Denver to see if I could spot any aurora activity. Sure enough, an area of the sky to the north, high up, was definitely pinkish instead of the normal washed-out blueish grey of the light-polluted city. Brought my wife out for a look and while we were watching it began to fade, and is now back to "normal." There could be other explanations, but most likely we caught the tail end of a faint aurora display.

 

Jett

Edited by Wolfwatcher, 10 October 2024 - 10:12 PM.

[Larry Geary]

Brought my wife out for a look and while we were watching it began to fade, and is now back to "normal." There could be other explanations, but most likely we caught the tail end of a faint aurora display.

It lasted an hour, from 7:30 to 8:30 EDT, from my location. It was a nice consolation prize after failing to find the comet.
 

[emflocater]

I was out looking for the comet from sunset until an hour after sunset and couldn't find it. Either I was looking in the wrong place or the comet isn't as bright as some say. I've seen wildly different magnitude estimates, from -4.4 to +2.7 (Sky Safari). I found Venus easily and Sky Safari says it's magnitude -4.0 now, so if the comet was near the brighter estimates I should have seen it.

 

After I packed up my equipment I stood up and found myself facing a bright red aurora. I stayed and watched the display until it faded away about an hour later. I haven't seen one this bright since 1976.

I took quite a few pis of the Aurora as well last night. I will check my memory card sometime today and pick a couple that hopefully came out well.

 

Cheers

Don

 

A couple pics of the Northern Lights from Rochester NY. Since I could not glimpse the Comet I was able to catch the Aurora! 

 

NOTE: Click each pic for a better larger view! 

 

 

Edited by emflocater, 11 October 2024 - 05:00 PM.

[RMay]

Spent almost an hour looking for the comet at sunset and saw nothing, but caught the aurora a hour later beginning at 8:45pm.

North central California, and it’s been going on for over two hours now.

Ron

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Edited by RMay, 11 October 2024 - 08:56 AM.

[theopenn]

Hello, 

 

I am traveling to New Hampshire. And Vermont this weekend. Does anyone know any good spot where I can view the comet?

 

Thanks 

 

Theo 

[Erik Bakker]

Couldn’t find the comet yesterday either, the first day of the slightest chance of spotting it here, even with very clear skies and an unobstructed horizon to about 2 degrees height viewing west. Will try again later today, weather permitting. The comet distancing itself from the sun and our horizon should help in returning to visibility soon.

[Mad MikeE]

Just a thought - Look at yesterday's LASCO imagery and not where the tail is and they relative to the sun. 

Then do the same for the comet head location vs. the sun in Stellarium. 

 

I looked to see where LASCO is between us and the sun, so it sure looks to me like the LASCO orientation the matches Stellarium for both?

This implies to me that the comet tail is pointing down @ 4:00 roughly?  Not the best orientation for viewing?

 

If someone can explain an alternate orientation, that would be useful - Thanks!

[Mirzam]

Go to the interactive sky view:    https://theskylive.com/c2023a3-info
 

JimC

[Starhunter249]

I tried again last night and once again too much haze. Venus was easy to see but not the comet. Will try again tonight and should have success as it is much higher and can benefit being out of the horizon haze with more time to darken sky a bit more.

[thedude_01]

Do you guys think it will be worth it to travel somewhere tonight with a western horizon or just wait until the next few days or next week? I have not seen it but like Ron, saw an incredible display of NLs last night!

[lanndonkane]

Do you guys think it will be worth it to travel somewhere tonight with a western horizon or just wait until the next few days or next week? I have not seen it but like Ron, saw an incredible display of NLs last night!

I’m wondering the same thing. Based on Stellarium, I’m guessing that if it can be seen tonight with binoculars, anywhere they sky is clear will suffice.

Tomorrow, with a bit more altitude, a dark sky may be better.

[thedude_01]

I'm glad I'm not the only one wondering! Unfortunately, we have cloudy skies for the next 3 nights here so tonight maybe my only chance cuz it will be clear out. I mean, I'm pretty happy with seeing an incredible NLs display last night, so either way.

I wonder if folks aren't seeing it here does that mean it actually broke up? 

[randy_1701]

So I also tried near Charleston, South Carolina, Thursday evening, but despite my best efforts I could not find the comet in the twilight.

 

I've got a small tree line on my western horizon, and I'm blaming that on my lack of sighting the comet so low to the horizon, but I have since scoped out my nearest neighborhood spot with a better western view and I am going to try again this evening, starting just after sunset around 19:20 EDT.

 

Given that the comet will be higher in the western sky at the same time, each night, I am hoping that all of our odds in general will improve, night to night.

 

And, as a side note, even this far "south" I did manager to catch the Aurora activity, also, later on Thursday night, at least with the camera on my phone.

 

BTW, we are blessed with SEVERAL days in a row of, "October Skies" after a cold front passed by at the same time as Hurricane Milton thrashed Florida, so clear skies are a near "promise" for the next few nights.

 

Good Comet Hunting!

Randy

[RMay]

From what I’ve been reading, it may (“may”) be visible to those below 40° north latitude for about 20 minutes, very low in the west after sunset, starting today, with better chances tomorrow.

Ron

[Jim Shaffer]

 

I wonder if folks aren't seeing it here does that mean it actually broke up? 

It's not going through perihelion, it's already done that.  This conjunction with the sun was just due to the arrangement of the earth's orbit vs. the comet's orbit.

[Slartibartfast]

Got out this evening just after sunset to look for the comet using 25x100 binoculars.  I couldn't see it.  The skies were clear but toward the horizon there was too much haze and brightness from the sun.  Got a good look at the 1st quarter moon though.

[aa6ww]

I'm going out to try with my 100mm ED Ultra Binoculars tonight. in about an  hr. not sure about overcast yet though..

 

Good luck to all.

 

 

Ralph

[lanndonkane]

Nothing here! Far too hazy

[randy_1701]

Success!

 

I just got back from positioning myself in my neighborhood by a lake with a great western view, and I was able to find the comet using my Oberwerk Deluxe 15X70 binoculars looing very low in the twilight around 19:28 EDT.

 

Earlier today, I scouted out a good spot with a very good western view, and Sky Safari 7 was invaluable in finding the spot on the horizon in the low part of the tree line where the comet would appear, this evening.

Camera is iPhone 15 Pro Max using main camera at 2 power in addition to the binoculars.

 

Good comet hunting to all!

Clear Skies,

Randy

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