Hi all

Theres a new comet in the sky: Machholz ( c/2004 Q2)
This was discovered by a guy in California with a 6" reflecting scope! theres hope for us yet!

Right now its right below Orion in the constellation Lepas. I was able to finally get it in my 6EQ scope. Rather faint right now, but very cool. Its gonna get brighter in the next few months as it climbs towrd the Pleiades. It might even become visable to the naked eye. Heres an article on it.


http://www.space.com/spacewatch/comet_winter_040917.html

If you need the exact position, you can go to http://www.calsky.com click on comets and click on Comets tonight, then select it. If you choose a 60 degree feild, it will show the major constellations around it. OH..also choose where you are. This is a good resource for anything, so if you register ( free) everytime you go there, it will save your settings( location..where you are in the world) and other preferances, and you can look up anything. Quite nice. A great resource!

OK..how about a Comet Piece now! ( another space challange)

TC

ooh thanks tim,ill check out that site
after i kill my son who is currently singing christmas carols at the top of his voice to annoy me

Coolness! Maybe I'll dust the old SC8+ off. (Bought it for Halley -- real silvered mirror, Byers drive, ultra-wide angle Nagler eyepieces... mmm.)

Tim, have you seen this?

WinStars, a free planetarium program for Windows -- looks pretty good at first glance, though I've not had a chance to telecharge it yet. ;-) French only at present, if and when I have some spare time I might volunteer to do the translation into Zeeuws-Vlaanderen.

Oops, I mean into English. *blush* One of those languages, I can't keep 'em all straight!

Meffy

apple doesn't fall far from the tree ...

I forgot to give credit. The link I gave earlier was from a post by ollie on the Propellerhead User Forum.

*tip o' the baseball cap decorated with the Pepe Le Pew picture*

Meffy

hey you guys!
This comet is in place for great veiwing now..heading towrd the pleiades. been observing it the last few nights inbetween the rain fronts. Very good object in binoculars and very bright. Just go up the Pleiades and go downward a bit untill you see a nice bright fuzzy ball. VERY COOL! Not to be missed!!Should be at its brightest tonight.

VURT: get out that 60MM you got..it should show up just fine!

Now to challange anyone to do some M42/AlgoN COMET tunes!!

TC

Heres a map of positions:



To make it more printable, I brought it into the windows paint program, went to atributes..made it black and white, then reversed the colors, so it prints black on white..so it does not take up so much black ink to print it!

heres a good article on how it was discovered. I now belong to the san Jose astronomical assosiation, went to a Star Party, and might get a 13" loaner scope!

http://ephemeris.sjaa.net/0410/b.html

Have fun!

TC

Cheers for the info Tim. Just been out with the old 'scope (60mm refractor). Fine object to see, hope to try again another night away from all the local town lights.

Is that thing heading to earth? If not, is not interesting.

It COULD be!

so..its STILL interesting. How many times do you get to go in your backyard and look at a comet?

and Psyclapse: that 60MM is fine for observing comets ( and other things) pretty soon it will be right by the pleiades , and THAT will be a sight! Also going up right next to ALGO ( hey..thats AlgoMusic's star!) which is a weird variable star.

TC

you aint gonna like this tim and i suggest its about time you get broadband track is currently clockin in at over 15 mins,so far has a heap of stuff plus algon and m42,want to try to add some stratoblaster if i can play the right riffs,gonna try usin my ezag

HEY..I GOT broadband...so make it LONGER!!

Please post here when finished..or make us a link to the cafe post if ya do it there:-)

TC