Sources for Comets on the Internet

The recent error of positional ephemeredes and magnitude of comet C/2008 O2 on the popular Heavens-Above web site caught a number of observers looking for a bright telescope comet in the sky. I first heard of this from local club members whose attempts to view C/2008 O2 with various scopes, GOTO’s included, with disappointing results. Later on I read of similar accounts on Cloudy Nights Forum.

Since I am known to search for those dim members of the solar system that yield a non-impressive sight in the eyepiece, I was surprised to hear about a bright telescopic comet in the early evening sky. I follow the latest info of comets visible in the sky and was confused at to what I may have missed. The Internet web sources I use to follow position and magnitudes of comets did not list C/2008 O2 as a bright telescopic comet in the position of the sky that the Heavens-Above web site.

Tony Cook, a comet observer and photographer, posted a short list of good sources for comet observing web sites on the Cloudy Nights Forum. For the benefit of all who looked for C/2008 O2 I list here the sources I use on the Internet to aid with observing comets.

A quick simple look at current comets and magnitude are found on these two sites:

BAA Comet Section at http://www.ast.cam.ac.uk/~jds/

German Amateur Observers Society Comet Section at http://kometen.fg-vds.de/fgk_hpe.htm

For site that include Charts:

SkyHound’s Comet Chasing at http://cometchasing.skyhound.com/

Charts with star magnitudes at http://www.shopplaza.nl/astro/

And this web site with observation, analysis, charts, and weeky trends of current comets:

Seiichi Yoshida of Japan comets pages at http://www.aerith.net/comet/weekly/current.html

This site contains a great deal of historical data and useful information a links.

Gray Kronk’s comets web site at http://cometography.com/

The International Comet Quarterly (ICQ) has many pages with information on comet observing.

Dan Green Harvard Observatory at http://www.cfa.harvard.edu/icq/CometMags.html

All of the above sites are useful when planning to view comets in the sky. Happy Hunting.

Observing Jupiter

Jupiter is still in good viewing position in the early evening sky. I find that observing the planet during twilight may better that later in the night. My local seeing conditions are sometimes better shortly after twilight than later. One feature to keep an eye on is the possibility of that the SEB preceding the GRS many be fading in color. Christopher Pellier noted this in photos on the Jupiter Yahoo Group page. If the belt does fade, as it has done so in the past, then the GRS will stand out against a white background region. This will take a while to develop along the length of the belt, and my not occur until the next apparition of Jupiter in our skies. But for now there are a number of dark barges that follow the GRS in the SEB. Opposite the GRS on the other side of the planet the dark spot in the STRZ is still observable.

Here is the list of observing times of these features.

 2009 / 11 / 1  U.T. DATE , CM AT  0:00 U.T SYS I= 2.11 SYS II= 295.66

The GRS Spot (SYS II = 138)  transits at   5:34 U.T.
The GRS Spot (SYS II = 138)  transits at  15:30 U.T.

The Oval BA  (SYS II = 323) in STZ  transits at  0:45 U.T.
The Oval BA  (SYS II = 323) in STZ  transits at 10:40 U.T.
The Oval BA  (SYS II = 323) in STZ  transits at 20:36 U.T.

The Dark Spot (SYS II = 285) in STRz transits at  9:38 U.T.
The Dark Spot (SYS II = 285) in STRz transits at 19:33 U.T.

 2009 / 11 / 2  U.T. DATE , CM AT  0:00 U.T SYS I= 159.96 SYS II= 85.43

The GRS Spot (SYS II = 138)  transits at   1:26 U.T.
The GRS Spot (SYS II = 138)  transits at  11:22 U.T.
The GRS Spot (SYS II = 138)  transits at  21:18 U.T.

The Oval BA  (SYS II = 323) in STZ  transits at  6:33 U.T.
The Oval BA  (SYS II = 323) in STZ  transits at 16:28 U.T.

The Dark Spot (SYS II = 285) in STRz transits at  5:30 U.T.
The Dark Spot (SYS II = 285) in STRz transits at 15:25 U.T.

 2009 / 11 / 3  U.T. DATE , CM AT  0:00 U.T SYS I= 317.46 SYS II= 235.55

The GRS Spot (SYS II = 138)  transits at   7:14 U.T.
The GRS Spot (SYS II = 138)  transits at  17: 9 U.T.

The Oval BA  (SYS II = 323) in STZ  transits at  2:24 U.T.
The Oval BA  (SYS II = 323) in STZ  transits at 12:20 U.T.
The Oval BA  (SYS II = 323) in STZ  transits at 22:16 U.T.

The Dark Spot (SYS II = 285) in STRz transits at  1:21 U.T.
The Dark Spot (SYS II = 285) in STRz transits at 11:17 U.T.
The Dark Spot (SYS II = 285) in STRz transits at 21:13 U.T.

 2009 / 11 / 4  U.T. DATE , CM AT  0:00 U.T SYS I= 115.31 SYS II= 25.66

The GRS Spot (SYS II = 138)  transits at   3: 5 U.T.
The GRS Spot (SYS II = 138)  transits at  13: 1 U.T.
The GRS Spot (SYS II = 138)  transits at  22:57 U.T.

The Oval BA  (SYS II = 323) in STZ  transits at  8:11 U.T.
The Oval BA  (SYS II = 323) in STZ  transits at 18: 7 U.T.

The Dark Spot (SYS II = 285) in STRz transits at  7: 9 U.T.
The Dark Spot (SYS II = 285) in STRz transits at 17: 4 U.T.

 2009 / 11 / 5  U.T. DATE , CM AT  0:00 U.T SYS I= 273.16 SYS II= 176.13

The GRS Spot (SYS II = 138)  transits at   8:52 U.T.
The GRS Spot (SYS II = 138)  transits at  18:48 U.T.

The Oval BA  (SYS II = 323) in STZ  transits at  4: 3 U.T.
The Oval BA  (SYS II = 323) in STZ  transits at 13:58 U.T.
The Oval BA  (SYS II = 323) in STZ  transits at 23:54 U.T.

The Dark Spot (SYS II = 285) in STRz transits at  3: 0 U.T.
The Dark Spot (SYS II = 285) in STRz transits at 12:55 U.T.
The Dark Spot (SYS II = 285) in STRz transits at 22:51 U.T.

 2009 / 11 / 6  U.T. DATE , CM AT  0:00 U.T SYS I= 71.02 SYS II= 325.9

The GRS Spot (SYS II = 138)  transits at   4:44 U.T.
The GRS Spot (SYS II = 138)  transits at  14:40 U.T.

The Oval BA  (SYS II = 323) in STZ  transits at  9:50 U.T.
The Oval BA  (SYS II = 323) in STZ  transits at 19:46 U.T.

The Dark Spot (SYS II = 285) in STRz transits at  8:48 U.T.
The Dark Spot (SYS II = 285) in STRz transits at 18:43 U.T.

 2009 / 11 / 7  U.T. DATE , CM AT  0:00 U.T SYS I= 228.52 SYS II= 116.02

The GRS Spot (SYS II = 138)  transits at   0:36 U.T.
The GRS Spot (SYS II = 138)  transits at  10:32 U.T.
The GRS Spot (SYS II = 138)  transits at  20:27 U.T.

The Oval BA  (SYS II = 323) in STZ  transits at  5:42 U.T.
The Oval BA  (SYS II = 323) in STZ  transits at 15:38 U.T.

The Dark Spot (SYS II = 285) in STRz transits at  4:39 U.T.
The Dark Spot (SYS II = 285) in STRz transits at 14:35 U.T.

 2009 / 11 / 8  U.T. DATE , CM AT  0:00 U.T SYS I= 26.37 SYS II= 266.13

The GRS Spot (SYS II = 138)  transits at   6:23 U.T.
The GRS Spot (SYS II = 138)  transits at  16:19 U.T.

The Oval BA  (SYS II = 323) in STZ  transits at  1:34 U.T.
The Oval BA  (SYS II = 323) in STZ  transits at 11:29 U.T.
The Oval BA  (SYS II = 323) in STZ  transits at 21:25 U.T.

The Dark Spot (SYS II = 285) in STRz transits at  0:31 U.T.
The Dark Spot (SYS II = 285) in STRz transits at 10:26 U.T.
The Dark Spot (SYS II = 285) in STRz transits at 20:22 U.T.

 2009 / 11 / 9  U.T. DATE , CM AT  0:00 U.T SYS I= 184.22 SYS II= 56.6

The GRS Spot (SYS II = 138)  transits at   2:14 U.T.
The GRS Spot (SYS II = 138)  transits at  12:10 U.T.
The GRS Spot (SYS II = 138)  transits at  22: 6 U.T.

The Oval BA  (SYS II = 323) in STZ  transits at  7:20 U.T.
The Oval BA  (SYS II = 323) in STZ  transits at 17:16 U.T.

The Dark Spot (SYS II = 285) in STRz transits at  6:17 U.T.
The Dark Spot (SYS II = 285) in STRz transits at 16:13 U.T.

 2009 / 11 / 10  U.T. DATE , CM AT  0:00 U.T SYS I= 341.72 SYS II= 206.37

The GRS Spot (SYS II = 138)  transits at   8: 2 U.T.
The GRS Spot (SYS II = 138)  transits at  17:58 U.T.

The Oval BA  (SYS II = 323) in STZ  transits at  3:12 U.T.
The Oval BA  (SYS II = 323) in STZ  transits at 13: 8 U.T.
The Oval BA  (SYS II = 323) in STZ  transits at 23: 4 U.T.

The Dark Spot (SYS II = 285) in STRz transits at  2:10 U.T.
The Dark Spot (SYS II = 285) in STRz transits at 12: 5 U.T.
The Dark Spot (SYS II = 285) in STRz transits at 22: 1 U.T.

 2009 / 11 / 11  U.T. DATE , CM AT  0:00 U.T SYS I= 139.57 SYS II= 356.48

The GRS Spot (SYS II = 138)  transits at   3:54 U.T.
The GRS Spot (SYS II = 138)  transits at  13:49 U.T.
The GRS Spot (SYS II = 138)  transits at  23:45 U.T.

The Oval BA  (SYS II = 323) in STZ  transits at  9: 0 U.T.
The Oval BA  (SYS II = 323) in STZ  transits at 18:55 U.T.

The Dark Spot (SYS II = 285) in STRz transits at  7:57 U.T.
The Dark Spot (SYS II = 285) in STRz transits at 17:53 U.T.

 2009 / 11 / 12  U.T. DATE , CM AT  0:00 U.T SYS I= 297.42 SYS II= 146.6

The GRS Spot (SYS II = 138)  transits at   9:41 U.T.
The GRS Spot (SYS II = 138)  transits at  19:37 U.T.

The Oval BA  (SYS II = 323) in STZ  transits at  4:51 U.T.
The Oval BA  (SYS II = 323) in STZ  transits at 14:47 U.T.

The Dark Spot (SYS II = 285) in STRz transits at  3:49 U.T.
The Dark Spot (SYS II = 285) in STRz transits at 13:44 U.T.
The Dark Spot (SYS II = 285) in STRz transits at 23:40 U.T.

 2009 / 11 / 13  U.T. DATE , CM AT  0:00 U.T SYS I= 94.92 SYS II= 296.72

The GRS Spot (SYS II = 138)  transits at   5:33 U.T.
The GRS Spot (SYS II = 138)  transits at  15:28 U.T.

The Oval BA  (SYS II = 323) in STZ  transits at  0:43 U.T.
The Oval BA  (SYS II = 323) in STZ  transits at 10:39 U.T.
The Oval BA  (SYS II = 323) in STZ  transits at 20:34 U.T.

The Dark Spot (SYS II = 285) in STRz transits at  9:36 U.T.
The Dark Spot (SYS II = 285) in STRz transits at 19:31 U.T.

 2009 / 11 / 14  U.T. DATE , CM AT  0:00 U.T SYS I= 252.77 SYS II= 86.84

The GRS Spot (SYS II = 138)  transits at   1:24 U.T.
The GRS Spot (SYS II = 138)  transits at  11:20 U.T.
The GRS Spot (SYS II = 138)  transits at  21:16 U.T.

The Oval BA  (SYS II = 323) in STZ  transits at  6:30 U.T.
The Oval BA  (SYS II = 323) in STZ  transits at 16:26 U.T.

The Dark Spot (SYS II = 285) in STRz transits at  5:27 U.T.
The Dark Spot (SYS II = 285) in STRz transits at 15:23 U.T.