Comet Boattini in Hydra

[rcj]

There is a new comet called Boattini located currently in Hydra at magnitude 7.0. It is expected to brighten rapidly towards month end, and moving into Puppis.

Finder Chart:
http://www.skyhound.com/cometchasing/comets/2007_W1.gif

Ephemerides:
http://www.ast.cam.ac.uk/~jds/07w1.eq

[starfinder]

Tks for the news! Great.

Will try to keep a look out for it, if I've got any energy left...

From what I've been able to read, its perihelion will be on June 24th at 0.84AU:
http://www.ast.cam.ac.uk/%7Ejds/coms07.htm#07W1

[starfinder]

Hey everyone, here is an update:

Comet Boattini C/2007 W1's magnitude is 6.2 as at May 14, with an apparent size of 20 arc-min (i.e. almost as wide as the Moon, hmmm...):
http://www.aerith.net/comet/weekly/current.html


Here is a prediction based on slightly older data:
"If this rapid brightening should continue the comet would reach 2nd magnitude around the dates of perigee (June 12, distance 0.210 AU) and perihelion (June 24)! However, according to my empiric formulae, the coma would then be in the order of about 1° (contrary to the 20' for a maximum brightness of 6 mag). In this case it could show a visual tail of up to 10° long (instead of 1°), which, however, would be of rather low surface brightness. Around perigee it will be a very difficult object for every location on earth, because it will then move between the earth and sun. "
http://kometen.fg-vds.de/koj_2008/c2007w1/07w1eaus.htm


From what I can see running my planetarium program set for Singapore, the comet will continue to be visible from S'pore in the evenings at around 8pm from now until about June 7th (after which it will drop too low in the Western horizon), and then will become visible again as pre-dawn object from about June 26th. So our location is more favourable than those in the far northen latitudes. New Moon is at June 4th and July 3rd.

I'm not sure about the above prediction of a possible 2nd magnitude and a 10 degree tail. I quite doubt it.

I rememeber comet Ikeya-Zhang was an impressive sight at Telok Sari in March 2002. Its reported peak was at mag 3.5 (about the same as Omega Centauri) with a tail length of 3 to 5 degrees:
http://www.cometography.com/pcomets/153p.html

[Clifford60]

Anyone found the comet?

[rcj]

let's try it in punggai...

[starfinder]

I tried looking for it last night with binoculars and star-charts, but didn't manage to find it. I think I got a bit lost in the sparse and unfamiliar Pyxis area, plus there were a lot of trees in the way.

I may have to haul the LX90 downstairs to find it with the Goto function. Some amateur...

Anyway, it is now reported to be at mag 5.7 (as at 24 May) and 20 arc-min across:
http://www.aerith.net/comet/weekly/current.html

This makes it comparable to the M4 globular in Scorpius (mag 5.4) which I have seen from town on good nights. Plus the "Great" M13 globular in Hercules weighs in at only mag 5.8. However, I think the globulars' brightness is more concentrated over a smaller area.

I think we'll stop yawning if it gets down (or rather up) to around mag 4 and grows a tail.

[starfinder]

Just a reminder, Comet Boattini has now gone past perihelion which was yesterday (24 June).

It will from tomorrow (26 June) theoretically become visible again from Singapore as a pre-dawn object.

Tomorrow, at 6.15am, the comet will be in Eridanus (near Orion) at roughly due East: Azimuth: 97°06'05" Alt: +18°27'48"
Celestial coordinates (epoch 2000): RA: 04h 12m 35s Dec: -06°20'41"

Check here for its orbital elements and Ephemeris:
http://cfa-www.harvard.edu/iau/Ephemeri ... 007W1.html


It will be interesting to ascertain if the comet has brightened dramatically since rounding the Sun. Or has it been vaporised? Stay tuned....

Anyone who manages to observe it, pls post here. I haven't, yet.