Comet Pojmanski This Morning

Hi all

This morning i made my 3rd observation of C/2006 A1 (Pojmanski) at 04.50 LT. Using my 8" F/6.3 SCT at 49X i swept up the Comet in Delphinus located due east in a horizontal line from Gamma. The comet was fairly easy in 10X50 Binos and i could see it very faintly with the naked eye using both averted and direct vision as a blue, soft fuzzy blob. The waxing gibbous Moon was very low in the west and washed out some of the comets most delicate features however i did get a good view through the telescope.

The coma was an obvious blue/green colour with a definite mottled texture reminding me of a globular cluster (i have not heard this reported yet) with generally sharp edges. The coma is an elliptical shape on the sunward side however the western section seemed elongated away from the sun as it emerged with the ion tail in a slight tear drop shape. At the centre of the coma was a very bright white disk - like central condensation that is now smaller in diameter than on my previous observation. Surrounding the 'CC' was a thin, well defined envelope of material. I rate the coma at DC:7 and overall looks to be a little softer and slightly fainter at mag 6.0? and a diameter of 3'.

I could also see a VERY faint blue Ion tail extending for a minimum distance of 45' with a faint field star within the tail 'down wind' of the coma. I observed the Comet for 40mins until the glow of morning twilight ended the session. The coma is the most striking feature of this particular comet and should be observed soon before it fades further. At post Perihelion the comet will be now leaving the inner solar system tail first so if you havent seen it nows the chance before it disappears from our skies! Heres a quick sketch i done.......



Heres a not so good image - can u spot the interloper?..

I can just about make out tail on the image..just wish i had a larger exposure capability. I cant seem to find any recent observations of this comet from northern hemisphere observers..what are they all doing? I would like to compare my own observations of this comet with others so i can see how accurate or inaccurate i am but i have nothing to compare it with..very frustrating. Even on the MPML and Charles Morris's comet page there are no recent observations..grrrr

I forgot to mention that i thought i seen a jet in the form of a white, hairline linear feature pointing at an angle towards the sun but i am not certain. I am going to be following this comet for as long as i can

Hope others will give it ago..it is now well placed and rising earlier every night and as John Mc Connell and i were discussing over the phone earlier it should soon become a circumpolar object soon!

Note to any interested parties that Comet 73P/ Schwassmann - Wachmann 3 (fragment C) is now mag 11.9 (March 10th) located below Arcturus and visualy described as a well condensed object and easy to see. This comet will brighten rapidly and become a naked eye object soon as it makes a record close approach by the earth. Once the moon moves out of the sky i will begin tracking this object and watch it grow..should be very interesting to sketch this comet as it changes throughout its appraition. There are now 7 fragments of this comet reminding of SL9 in 1994!

Some good observing in the weeks and months ahead!!!!!!

Maybe Dave Mc D could get us an image? It would again be the first in Ireland. I would be delighted to see a animation of this comets movement at some stage!!

Your images are 'dead' Martin!

Can you not see the comet on the image?

Granted its not a good image beacuse i only can do a 15 sec exposure however the coma is present if you know exactly were to look. I dont consider the image 'dead' as it is still a capture using very basic technology.

Unless i have picked you up wrong?

Martin - I think Seanie was meaning that the link appears to be broken - there's no image.... Its dead as a parrot...

Dave

Oh rite thanks for clarifying that Dave and sorry for the misunderstanding Seannie. There has been recent talk about this problem on the EAAS forum..seems that the problem is with tinypic..hope they get it sorted soon.