[BAA Comets] is there any value in visual drawings of comets

[DENIS BUCZYNSKI]

Hello all,
In the (possibly unlikely) event of C/2012 S1 ISON becoming a bright naked eye comet in the next few months, I have been wondering about the value of visual observations( drawings) made at the eyepiece of telescopes and binoculars. The comparison between the eventual spectacle that C/2012 S1 ISON may become, with the actual views that was experienced by observers of Comet Kohoutek 1973f  is being heard more loudly as perihelion approaches for C/2012 S1 ISON. As experienced comet observers, members of this group may remember that Comet Kohoutek 1973f may not have been the Great Comet that was hoped for at the time, but it did reach naked eye visibilty and many observers were able to make succesful observations. Many of these were visual observations. Is there any value in observers today recording what can be seen in their telescopes?
Most observers 
are taking images for astrometry/photometry or for pretty/stunning 
image purposes. The visual observers are generally making magnitude
 determinations and some are adding morphology details such as coma 
size/and DC, plus tail lengths and orientations. Nobody actually 
draws what they see. I am not the person to advise on drawing 
techniques. But I would like to see this practice rekindled amongst 
visual observers. The historical record is littered with high resolution
 drawings of hoods and jets in inner coma regions of bright comets and of long tail structures. In 
the event of a spectacular disintigration of C/2012 S1 at perihelion in a few
 weeks time and a visual spectacle such as was seen in Comet Lovejoy C/2011 W3 happens , it would be excellent if we had some visual descriptions 
and drawings of what could be seen. Of course the naked eye sees these 
events in a differerent way and wavelengths to CCD images, so they would 
be a valid and valuable record. One only has to look at the detail 
recorded visually in the hoods and shells of Comet C/1995 O1 Hale-Bopp. The recent 
outburst of C/2012 X1 Linear had evolving detail in the near nucleus region that 
could probably be seen visually. The most recent classic
 case of visual studies being important was John Bortle's record of the 
break up and identification of the remants of CometC/1975V1.West in 1976. I have placed (for inpiration  purposes) some scans of George Alcock's and 
John Bortle's comet sketchs, to show how they recorded their comet 
observations at the links below. The details in the tail features have been confirmed by 
comparision to photographs taken at the time. There are very few 
observers who actually place eye to eyepiece and really see what is 
there to be seen in a telescopic view of a comet. Drawing does help 
concentration and can render more detail visible than a quick look. As 
well as this, the observation is time dependant. Any observation of a 
comet is unique as it will never be seen in that exact place in the sky 
again, nor will the physical processes which have combined to allow the 
comet to be seen at that time and in that way exactly repeat. Once it 
has gone it has gone! It is different to the visual observation of a galaxy or nebula where essentially there is no change happening. One can wait for optimal observing conditions 
to see a DSO at it's best. Not so with comets, you take what you can 
get. That is why the observation is important. The ever changing aspects and physical development of the comet make observations unique. They 
cannot be repeated, ever.So my question is this, is there any value in getting out there with your pencil and pad and 
recording and reporting what you see?

Denis Buczynski
BAA

Comet Kohoutek 1973f Alcock
http://britastro.org/baa/index.php?view=detail&id=1814&option=com_joomgallery&Itemid=200

Comet Kohoutek 1973f Alcock2
http://britastro.org/baa/index.php?view=detail&id=1815&option=com_joomgallery&Itemid=200

Comet Kohoutek 1973f and Comet Bradfield 1974b Bortle
http://britastro.org/baa/index.php?view=detail&id=1816&option=com_joomgallery&Itemid=200 

Comet Bradfield 1974b Alcock and Walton
http://britastro.org/baa/index.php?view=detail&id=1817&option=com_joomgallery&Itemid=200