Comet C/2002 F8/2020 (SWAN)

[Arnie Pie]

With a couple of clear Evenings/ mornings coming up and with Comet Swan being in a very 'findable position'......now might be the best and only time to view

The comet is very close to East of Capella, the brightest star in the northern skies atm.....and getting closer over the next few Mornings

Now... with my eyes... I cant find it 'naked with the visible eye' ...but have no trouble seeing Capella

If your concidering photograthing ...I have found it all a bit hit and miss so far

the only images i`ve managed are from knowing where the comet was going to be at that time

These were taken last Monday 25-5-2020 at around 3am where i knew the comets position was just to the East of Algol...which is a faint star in the Perseus constelation

taken at 90mm 10" @ f 7.6  ISO 320...but trial and effort to be recomended

Hope this helps in anyway

Happy Hunting

 

[Weather-history]

2 hours ago, Arnie Pie said:

With a couple of clear Evenings/ mornings coming up and with Comet Swan being in a very 'findable position'......now might be the best and only time to view

The comet is very close to East of Capella, the brightest star in the northern skies atm.....and getting closer over the next few Mornings

Now... with my eyes... I cant find it 'naked with the visible eye' ...but have no trouble seeing Capella

If your concidering photograthing ...I have found it all a bit hit and miss so far

the only images i`ve managed are from knowing where the comet was going to be at that time

These were taken last Monday 25-5-2020 at around 3am where i knew the comets position was just to the East of Algol...which is a faint star in the Perseus constelation

taken at 90mm 10" @ f 7.6  ISO 320...but trial and effort to be recomended

Hope this helps in anyway

Happy Hunting

 

Good luck but I think it is a bust. It is actuallly fading and has gone the way of Atlas.

Algol is not a faint star, infact its a celebrated star, the Demon Star sometimes known as, its a famous eclipsing binary, Its a magnitude of about 2 on average but dips to just over 3 when the binary partner eclipses. Comet SWAN is close to magniute 7 and is fading. I think naked eye visibilty under ideal conditions is just under 6. Given the twilight at this time of the year and its low altitude I don't hold out much hope.

 

Edited May 28, 2020 by Weather-history

[Arnie Pie]

1 hour ago, Weather-history said:

Good luck but I think it is a bust. It is actuallly fading and has gone the way of Atlas.

 

My bad... should have read last instead of best time to view

Its difficult to gauge the brightness of a Star imby....Viewing over the top of a metropolis is always testing due to light pollution...so to us the stars are either dim or visible....interesting the only time i`ve noticed Algol is through the lens of a camera and its position in relation to Capella( the very visible star in the Northern skies.)

my article is meant to aid people on where to point their camera or binoculars and hope that their eyes and  light pollution are better wherever they are.

Anyway i`m hoping that the Comet will be obscured by Noctilucent Clouds over the next few day`s to help soften the bust

Good luck