C/2020 F8 (SWAN)

Forums Comets C/2020 F8 (SWAN)

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  • #574614
    David Swan
    Spectator

    I am sure everyone knows that comet SWAN is moving towards visibility in the UK sky. I thought I’d set up a thread for postings of first sightings – visual and CCD –  by BAA members.

    There are indications that it might not be behaving as we might have hoped…

    #582446
    David Swan
    Spectator

    Hergenrother (credible observer) reported mag 5.7 at 2020/05/13.46

    #582459
    Nick James
    Participant

    Here you go David. An image from Chelmsford this morning is here. It is not really world-shattering stuff but at least it is visible from here now. Not quite the as good as Rhemann’s image from Namibia.

    #582460
    David Swan
    Spectator

    This is great, thanks. Good to see it has arrived in the northern sky. It is obviously quite a bright object (would you say mag 5 – 6  is about right?) from looking at the stars that are visible in your image. Unfortunately we’ve had a lot of cloud at the NE coast these past weeks, and I haven’t been able to observe for some time. I’m ready with binoculars and a DSLR. The latest images do show a dust tail, which I hope develops further.

    #582463
    David Swan
    Spectator

    So I went to the Daily Mail for the latest authoritative information on C/2020 F8 … and to my great surprise came across some commentary by Nick!

    #582464
    Nick James
    Participant

    My great surprise too! They have lifted some quotes that I gave to a journalist who writes for Forbes magazine. The original article is here.

    #582465
    David Swan
    Spectator

    The Forbes article is measured, with wise comments from you.

    #582467
    Nick James
    Participant

    David, Thanks. At the moment this is definitely not a comet for the general public to get excited about. I got it again this morning. It was much higher (5 deg vs 2.5 deg) but there was more cloud and haze so the two cancelled out. Picture attached. Bear in mind that this was with a 200mm FL lens so quite a small field of view. The comet is still quite hard to spot.

     

    #582469
    Neil Morrison
    Participant

    You were  very Lucky Nick.  Here  beside Gatwick Airport  in Crawley. Sky  clear at 2300h..Bst 15th     Camera set up  with  Sony  SLT 65a and  85m F1.4 lens   16th 0300h Bst   thick medium level stratus  0400 Bst  still similar so  abandoned  watch.  No break in Clouds until 11.00 Bst which only lasted  for a short period.     Try again Sunday Morning in hope  for better  conditions

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