[BAA Comets] C/2012 S1 (ISON) this morning

[DENIS BUCZYNSKI]

Hi Andrew,
Great report of this mornings viewing. Glad you could see in the comet binocs. At least it is still in exsistence.I think that the combination of the heavy extinction at low altitude, the bright moonlight and encroaching dawn, alongside the still small coma diameter of ISON makes the comet look much less impressive than Lovejoy (at the moment). If it was possible to see ISON at the same altitude as Lovejoy it would look a whole lot different to the eye. There may not be many more views before it is in the glare of the Sun at perihelion, so yours was a precious view as was Nick's image. I know we all want a brilliant comet blazingly bright in the dawn and dusk skies, and the later may yet happen for us. Just to be able to witness what is actually happpening to the comet, no matter how great or apparently feeble, is fantastic and the part of the whole esssence of why we enjoy our persuit of astronomy as a way of life, not just a hobby that can be picked up
 and put down at will. Our obsessive behaviour is rewarded with views of Nature at its grandest. Keep up the morning vigil, by Xmas we may well have been rewarded.
Best wishes
Denis





>________________________________
> From: Andrew Robertson <alphacentauri at tesco.net>
>To: 'BAA Comets discussion list' <comets-disc at britastro.org> 
>Sent: Tuesday, 19 November 2013, 7:58
>Subject: Re: [BAA Comets] C/2012 S1 (ISON) this morning
> 
>
>Hi Nick,
>
>Good to know it wasn't just me. I was out observing at 5.15am with
>astronomical dark ending for me at 5.22 am. I always knew it was going to be
>a balance getting it high enough in a still darkish sky and with that almost
>full moon still 30 degs up albeit at the oppositte end of the sky. But I was
>still hoping it would be at least as good a view as I had on Friday morning.
>At 5.15am I could see Spica but ISON was still too low (4 degs) so I had a
>look at Lovejoy. Whilst I couldn't see it N/E with that moon up I just fell
>over it in the 8.5 x 50 bins. In the 15 x 70 bins there was a large bright
>nucleus with a thin tail about a degree long and a very nice view in my
>Vixen 4" apo - this was worth getting up for in itself but Lovejoy will
>still be there in a few days whereas ISON is fast dissappearing so back to
>the main target.
>
>I found it a 0538 (7 degs altitude) scanning the area with my 15 x 70's but
>only after missing it on the first scan. I was expecting to fall over this
>as well but no way, it was just a tiny slightly fuzzy star with no hint of a
>tail. I did two or three takes comparing to other stars nearby just to
>confirm I was on it. In the 4" apo, the nucleus was prominent but no hint of
>a tail, just too low down in too bright a sky. In the 12" Mewlon, nucleus
>very prominent with a hint of a stellar core. I could see a tenuous thin
>wispy tail but less than half a degree long. By 6am it was starting to fade
>in the brightening sky, so another look at Lovejoy before accidently
>noticing Mercury as bright as anything N/E just a few degrees above the
>horizon.
>
>So ISON dissapointing compared to my expectations after my view only 4 days
>earlier but still pleased to see one more time. Also very nice views of
>Lovejoy and Mercury (which I could see had a gibbous phase when I put the
>Vixen on it - didn't notice or even look for Encke nearby).
>
>Your image Nick is a good reminder for me of my visuals this morning with
>the nucleus being like the view in my 4" and the tail reminiscent of my view
>in the 12" albeit not as long.
>
>Andrew
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: comets-disc-bounces at britastro.org
>[mailto:comets-disc-bounces at britastro.org] On Behalf Of Nick James
>Sent: 19 November 2013 07:04
>To: BAA Comets discussion list
>Subject: [BAA Comets] C/2012 S1 (ISON) this morning
>
>Lovely clear sky here this morning but the view of this comet was
>dissappointing compared to last Saturday morning. The very bright moon and
>the comet's low altitude didn't help and it was much more difficult to find
>than three days ago.
>
>I took a set of frames at 200mm and 80mm and the comet is nowhere near as
>prominent as on Saturday. A single 20s exposure taken at 0552 is here:
>
>http://nickdjames.com/Comets/2013/tmp/20131119/IMG_9981.JPG
>
>Spica is at the top right and the comet (with faint tail) is in the centre.
>
>I'll have a go at stacking the frames this evening.
>
>Nick.
>_______________________________________________
>Comets-disc mailing list
>Comets-disc at britastro.org
>http://lists.britastro.org/mailman/listinfo/comets-disc
>
>_______________________________________________
>Comets-disc mailing list
>Comets-disc at britastro.org
>http://lists.britastro.org/mailman/listinfo/comets-disc
>
>
>