46p 20181216 0330 arobertson

  

I set my alarm for 2.30am, everything ready to go. Was out and observing by 3am, skies better than forecast which were showing 90% humidity. They were damp and a bit claggy but I got 21.26 SQM readings, the mag 5.5 star in UMi DV, the mag 5.74 one AV1.

 

Of course by 3 am the comet was only at 25 degrees altitude but I could still see where it was N/E. Started off with 15 x 70 bins – very nice, slightly asymmetrical halo. In 7 x 50’s I could see the Pleiades and comet in same FOV – nice. So set the 28 x 110 bins up – superb view, very asymmetrical in these so made a sketch. Of the three stars to its left I could only just see two of them in the 15 x 70’s. In the 28 x 110’s I  estimated the coma to be about 1 degree in diameter.