|
* * * * * C/2011 W3 (Lovejoy) * * * * *
Year Mn Day MM Mag Ref Scope Pwr coma DC tail p.a. Obs Site 2012 1 17.48 10.0B 25 1.0 55 SEA Cowra, NSW (Tail visible with averted vision as a very faint beam. Possibly seen in 15x80B but not in 6x35B. No definable head detected. On January 22.52 and 23.52, what could best be described as a very faint, rather broad, ribbon of sky slightly less dark than the background field was glimpsed in both 25x100 and 15x80 binoculars. Position and orientation seemed consistent with tail, but too vague for any measurement.) 2012 1 16.47 S 9.6:LM 10.0B 25 0 SEA Cowra, NSW (Faint elongated glow. Magnitude refers to a slightly brighter region, but probably should not be taken too seriously as there was little that could be described as a 'head'.) 2012 1 6.29 S 8.5 TK 10.0B 20 7 1 1 210 GOI Araçatuba (Comet altitude 19°.) 2012 1 4.69 S 7.1 LM 3.5B 6 SEA Cowra, NSW (Naked eye, tail 31° in p.a. 221°; tail very faint in a very clear sky.) 2012 1 4.31 S 8.1 TK 10.0B 20 5 2 GOI Araçatuba (Comet altitude 20°.) 2012 1 3.68 S 6.9 LM 3.5B 6 SEA Cowra, NSW (Naked eye, tail 20° in p.a. 218°; tail very faint; only glimpsed using averted vision. Patches of high cloud, but sky cleared in region of comet.) 2012 1 2.69 0.0E 1 42 224 SEA Cowra, NSW (Large parts of sky covered with high cloud. Head of comet hidden by cloud, but tail more readily visible than previous morning.) 2012 1 2.27 S 6.5 TK 5.0B 7 12 3 10 225 GOI Araçatuba (Clouds, comet altitude 13°.) 2012 1 1.68 S 6.7 LM 3.5B 6 SEA Cowra, NSW (Naked eye, tail 26° in p.a. 222°; tail significantly fainter than previous morning [although sky may not have been quite as transparent]. Only clearly seen using averted vision. Coma still indistinct; just a slightly more intense 'swelling' at end of tail, but perhaps a little more differentiated from tail than earlier, as it retains its general form while the tail fades.) 2011 12 31.67 S 6.6 LM 3.5B 6 18 0 SEA Cowra, NSW (Naked eye, tail 39° in p.a. 223°; tail cleared most of Milky Way. Very faint, but with averted vision extended well beyond Musca into Carina. Limiting naked-eye stellar mangnitude near end of tail was approx. 6.5.) 2011 12 30.69 S 6.4 LM 3.5B 6 SEA Cowra, NSW (Naked eye, tail 26° in p.a. 225°; tail fainter than on previous mornings. Noticeably less intense than Small Magellanic Cloud.) 2011 12 29.70 S 6.3 AA 3.5B 6 14 0 SEA Cowra, NSW (Naked eye, tail 34° in p.a. 230°; tail at brightest part slightly less intense than Small Magellanic Cloud.) 2011 12 28.71 S 6.5:AA 3.5B 6 SEA Cowra, NSW (Naked eye, tail 32° in p.a. 230°; the tail appeared essentially headless.) 2011 12 28.30 xS 4.9 YG 5.0B 7 15 1 >30 225 SOU Maresias 2011 12 27.63 0.0E 1 27 SEA Cowra, NSW (Tail more difficult against background of Milky Way band.) 2011 12 26.69 S 5.3 AA 10.0B 25 4 0 SEA Cowra, NSW (Coma appeared as a slight brightening of nebulous sunward end of tail. Transparent and totally diffuse. Naked eye, tail 37° in p.a. 230°; tail fairly uniform over much of its length and slightly more intense than Small Magellanic Cloud.) 2011 12 24.69 I 4.9 AA 0.0E 1 28 240 SEA Cowra, NSW 2011 12 24.32 aS 3.8 HD 5.0B 7 10 3 20 260 GOI Araçatuba (Astronomical twilight, Sun altitude -15°, comet altitude 5°.) 2011 12 23.73 I 4 :AA 0.0E 1 22 235 SEA Cowra, NSW 2011 12 23.31 aI 4.0 HD 0.0E 1 6 3 15 260 GOI Araçatuba (Tail 15° in p.a. 260°, naked eye, nautical twilight, Sun altitude -14°, comet altitude 5°, clouds.) 2011 12 22.73 4-5: 10.0B 25 SEA Cowra, NSW (Magnitude just a guess. Low elevation and brightening sky, plus little that could be distinguished as a coma. Naked eye, tail 21° in p.a. 245°.) 2011 12 22.32 aI 2.8 HD 0.0E 1 6 3 20 240 GOI Araçatuba (Nautical twilight, Sun altitude -12°, comet altitude 5°.) 2011 12 20.34 sI 1.1 HD 10.0B 20 9 GOI Araçatuba (Stellar appearance, civil twilight, clouds, Sun altitude -5°, comet altitude 7°.) 2011 12 4.30 S 10.7 TK 22.0L 160 2 4 GOI Araçatuba (Astronomical twilight. Comet altitude 13°.)