Re: [APML]: Tempel-Tuttle question *Help!*

["Tom Krajci" <krajcit@det5wg57.barksdale.af.mil>]

> From:          "Olle Eriksson" <olle.eriksson@norrkoping.mail.telia.com>

> I have been out in the snow with the telescope three nights in a row now,
> just to get to see comet Tempel-Tuttle. Tonight I finally spotted it, or I
> think I did. .........

> I did a simple drawing at the eyepiece.......

Tmple-Tuttle is moving so fast across the sky (about four degrees per 
night) that after 10 minutes you can see its motion if it's near some 
stars for reference.
 
> * Is there anywhere I can find a chart with maximum magnitudes of 11 or 12
> or is the only way to confirm my finding to go out tomorrow night again and
> look for it?
> 
> * Does anyone have a photo of the comet?
> 
> * If what I saw really was the comet could the low surface brightness be the
> result of the magnification? 

Yes, low power will help increase apparant brightness - I just hope 
your observing site is fairly dark.  The comet's coma is about 15 
arcminutes in size (half the full moon) so you don't need high power 
to differentiate it from a star.

> Any other comments or observing reports are most welcome.
The coma looked elongated to me - probably due to the short tail it's 
sporting now, but my sky's not that dark for me to be sure that it 
was due to the tail.

Check out the Comet Observation Home Page run by Charles Morris.
http://encke.jpl.nasa.gov

Photos from amateurs around the world, e-mail of visual observations 
from around the world (magnitude, size, other comments, etc.), light 
curves, ephemerides, sometimes finder charts.

Yes, Temple-Tuttle is not a high surface brightness object.  
Moderately dark skies are a minimum to see it easily, and my Lumicon 
Swan Band helped all in our little observing party Saturday night.

Tom Krajci

Capt Tom Krajci
B-52 Intelligence Officer
"In God we trust, all others we monitor!"
http://spur.barksdale.af.mil