Comet Garradd C/2009 P1 passes the Coathanger

Comet Garradd C/2009 P1 was a nice sight last night (2/3 Sep 2011) passing by the 'hook' of the Coathanger asterism in Vulpecula.

See my image at Variable Star Nights

John

Very nice picture John. Did you take it from Topsfield or a nearby dark site?

I managed to spot Garradd in the 15x70mm binoculars on Saturday night. It had drifted past the hook of the Coathanger by that evening. The skies have been so cloudy I thought we would miss the comet's encounter with C399 altogether. Garradd was distinctly elongated, just like your photo. Also picked up a few Messiers & NGCs, including the Lagoon and M22 (the latter being really impressive.) It has been about 2 years since I've actually done any real observing (bar that sighting of Saturn & Gamma Virginis using your binoculars in Topsfield, MA last June!) ... good to be back gazing skyward!!!

talk to you soon and say hi to Sara for me,

john

Like John I have away from the scope and binoculars for way too long. managed to get out on saturday night and get back into the swing of things. Didn't even think to check to see if there were any comets about. Sick that I missed it.

hi Trevor,

good to see you back observing.

I very nearly put off going out to try for the comet. Was at home in Terenure debating whether to jump in the car and drive out to Wicklow (I've no garden, back or front, at my place.) A Saturday night in front of the telly seemed far more comfortable. Thankfully, the lure of the sky won out. Headed out the N7 and cut off towards Slade Valley, which is just beyond the Rathcoole/Saggart side of the Dublin conurbation -- about 20 to 25 minutes drive. It's not pitch dark there but sufficiently so to do a bit of roadside observing when quickly wanting to glimpse something transient like the comet.

To be honest, I was kicking myself too when I discovered Sunday morning that the supernova in M101 is visible in binoculars! Completely forgot to look for it.

I also picked up M22, M8, M20/21, M16, M17, M23, M24, M25, M31, M32, M34, M15, M29, Double Cluster, Stock 2, and a few NGC clusters in the 30 minutes or so peering up with the 15x70mm Celestron binoculars. Forecast isn't too good for the rest of the week so it was nice to get out and do some observing again.

The comet is predicted to remain a fine object for viewing right into the spring of 2012. More details and a downloadable finder chart can be found at www.skyandtelescope.com/observing/highlights/128836743.html

More details about SN 2011fe at www.cloudynights.com/ubbthreads/showflat.php/Number/4787643 - a nice telescopic sketch is at brandon-doyle.weebly.com/m101--sn2011ef.html

Detailed images & information of this and other supernovae can be found at www.rochesterastronomy.org/supernova.html

Some background information about this Type Ia supernova can be found at en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SN_2011fe

all the best,

John

nice image John, depicts it well.
We also saw the comet at the BSP last weekend,also cought the supernova, both very easily seen.