Comet Lulin

[Flying Turtle]

Has anyone been able to scope out Comet Lulin tonight? I tried a few minutes ago, but no luck. There's clear skies here, and I think I found Saturn, but no discernible little fuzz ball underneath. I'm afraid it may require a telescope.

Geoff

 

[addictedmatt]

I remember reading that it would be hard to see with the naked eye on the clearest night, even far from city lights.

 

[StarHalo]

Well here's what the camera sees (the image is not blurred, the exposure was so long that it captured Earth rotation):

And here's the breakdown:

I can just barely make out the star south of Saturn (Zavijava) by the eye, so there's no way to see the comet without some sort of equipment, even way out here in the desert.

Camera & settings: Sony DSC-W100
30 second exposure
F 2.8
ISO 400 (I can set this higher but it gets way more grainy and loses contrast)

Flashlight: JetBeam Jet I Mk IBS @ 2 lumens

 

[DonShock]

I spotted it with my telescope Saturday night. It was just barely a "discernible little fuzz ball" with the 8" scope. But then again we're pretty light pollluted here. I took a look up tonight here at work while doing rounds. Using averted vision, I could get just the slightest hint of light in the appropriate spot in the sky.

 

[stefanj]

Looked great in my 10". Very easy to make out the tail. Not as bright as Holmes was- but nice none the less

 

[dudemar]

I remember Hyakutake, it was a beautiful sight. It was visible with the naked eye, even in the light-polluted city where I live.

Now I wish I was smart enough to drive out to the boonies, but I don't think I had a car at the time.

Thanks for the pics StarHalo, very pretty.