[BAA Comets] C/2013 R1 Lovejoy

[Andrew Robertson]

Hi Denis,

Had some lovely views of C/2012 R1 this morning between 5.15am and 6.15am.
Switching views between 12" Mewlon (x90 and x135 [0.5 deg]), Vixen 4"
Fluorite apo (x22, 3 deg FoV and x33, 2 deg FoV) and 28 x 110 binoculars
(2.3 deg FoV).

By far the most pleasing view was through the 28 x 110 binoculars. With the
4" apo I got more detail and slightly more tail length with the higher
power. With the large binoculars could trace the tail just a bit farther
which at most was about 1.2 degs in length to my eyes, and quite good skies,
about mag 5.5 NELM.

I used the 4" apo to de-focus nearby stars to estimate magnitude which I put
about mag 6.2 but of course this doesn't take the tail into account.

Examining the head in the 12" Mewlon at x135 I could see a dark patch in
front of the nucleus very similar to what you described as a parabolic hood
in your image from the 10th December. On looking at your image just now,
from memory very similar in shape and relative size but displaced a bit more
to the side rather than completely in front. Ran out of time to sketch.

Regards,
Andrew Robertson