Comet NEOWISE

[BrickHorn 18237]

SIAP.

Comet NEOWISE is visible to the naked eye this week, and allegedly best viewed 80 minutes after sunset. We tried to spot it in Austin last night but the city lights washed it out. 

Any suggestions for a good spot in the surrounding area to stargaze? The comet is in the NW sky, so I figure it’s best to get NW of Austin so that you’re looking away from the city lights when viewing.

[XYZ 2154]

Your mom knows of good spots in the surrounding area to “stargaze”.

[RPM 26322]

Been looking for the last week, but haven't spotted it yet. Thread in Nerds with some more info.

 

[Bevo 13577]

When does it hit earth?

[Blotto 23525]

2 minutes ago, Bevo said:

When does it hit earth?

not soon enough

[Paper_jam 831]

I tried to catch this Saturday and Sunday morning, but it was too hazy, then I tried last night and I could not pick it up out of the skyglow just above the horizon. A guy with us had a camera that was sensitive enough to get a faint image, but to the naked eye and binocs it was just too faint.

If it was up to me, we'd have draconian laws and punishments to control light pollution.

 

[Brisketexan 105152]

It's 2020.  The only thing I'm surprised about is that it's not Comet Pennywise.

[HOOKEM4 5037]

I had planned on relaxing this weekend then I saw this shit and now I am heading out to the ranch. Zero light pollution and a huge hill to watch from. Hopefully i can get a good view. I love the cosmos.

[elfenix 34266]

washed out last night in houston.  at 9 pm tonight the ISS should race across the sky from W to E and just as it disappears to the E the comet might start being visible in the NW.  gonna go up on the roof and see if i can spot anything.

very nice star map:

https://stellarium-web.org/

[Judge Roybeanbag 11819]

33 minutes ago, Brisketexan said:

It's 2020.  The only thing I'm surprised about is that it's not Comet Pennywise.

Sheesh, get with the 2020 program.  Comet Pennywise AND Pound Foolish.

Edited July 16, 2020 by Judge Roybeanbag

[DaggerHorns 3085]

43 minutes ago, Paper_jam said:

I tried to catch this Saturday and Sunday morning, but it was too hazy, then I tried last night and I could not pick it up out of the skyglow just above the horizon. A guy with us had a camera that was sensitive enough to get a faint image, but to the naked eye and binocs it was just too faint.

If it was up to me, we'd have draconian laws and punishments to control light pollution.

 

You sound like you go larping.

[Bash Riprock 1695]

1 hour ago, DaggerHorns said:

You sound like you go larping.

lighting bolt lighting bolt 

[elfenix 34266]

too many clouds on the horizon today, but a really nice ISS pass was a consolation

[Gourmand 7774]

I saw a beautiful suburban rural Williamson County sunset but couldn't spot the comet.

[miguelito 11266]

I saw it briefly with binoculars, very cool. Then some high clouds came and some ants bit me.  Fucking ants.

I'll be out looking tomorrow, too.

[DaggerHorns 3085]

From Texas Hill Country. Not mine, it’s from Reddit.

[Updawg 2267]

I think I’ve been looking too early. Wonder what time that was at

[Trey3216 15346]

10 hours ago, Brisketexan said:

It's 2020.  The only thing I'm surprised about is that it's not Comet Pennywise.

It is Pennywise, just newer. 

[miguelito 11266]

I went out about 9:40.  Based on the charts in some of those articles, I ID'd the general area (relative to the Big Dipper), then used binocs to find the comet.  It was pretty obvious when I found it.  I was trying to spot it without binocs, but that's when the clouds drifted in. 

Those pictures make it look brighter than it is.  Those are long exposure pictures, obviously.

[ztejas 43464]

I need to know what gender the comet identifies as so I know whether to get my sandwich board and bell or not.

[BabaYaga 15300]

Comet me bro!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I'll see myself out....

[HackerHorn 12]

Here is a Pic from a Friend 

[BrickHorn 18237]

16 hours ago, DaggerHorns said:

From Texas Hill Country. Not mine, it’s from Reddit.

Any idea how far out of Austin one would need to get to have a shot at seeing this? Leander? Burnet? Llano?

We tried from Austin, but there’s too much light pollution.

[Steamboat1874 4067]

59 minutes ago, BrickHorn said:

Any idea how far out of Austin one would need to get to have a shot at seeing this? Leander? Burnet? Llano?

We tried from Austin, but there’s too much light pollution.

East of 35 and north of Georgetown like out 29 east of 130 a little bit.

[HackerHorn 12]

My friend took that picture in Llano

[Rip76 4930]

23 hours ago, HOOKEM4 said:

I had planned on relaxing this weekend then I saw this shit and now I am heading out to the ranch. Zero light pollution and a huge hill to watch from. Hopefully i can get a good view. I love the cosmos.

Well done man, well done.

[Paper_jam 831]

 

7 hours ago, HackerHorn said:

Here is a Pic from a Friend 

Jesus, is your friend the Hubble Space Telescope?

 

Even looking back towards the Austin lights, I managed to see it for about 30 seconds last night (with binocs) before a thin cloud wiped it out. Was about 9:28 pm. Timing is somewhat important because you need to catch it when the light from sunset is mostly gone, but before the comet gets too low in the sky.

Edited July 17, 2020 by Paper_jam

[bolverk 29683]

59 minutes ago, Paper_jam said:

 

Jesus, is your friend the Hubble Space Telescope?

 

Even looking back towards the Austin lights, I managed to see it for about 30 seconds last night (with binocs) before a thin cloud wiped it out. Was about 9:28 pm. Timing is somewhat important because you need to catch it when the light from sunset is mostly gone, but before the comet gets too low in the sky.

It's just an amazing shot. Check out that white horizontal line in the upper section of the photo to the right. Is that a satellite or the space station also crossing the sky?

[Fudge Nuggets 19195]

9 hours ago, HackerHorn said:

Here is a Pic from a Friend 

Fake af.

[MillerEP 30475]

Best picture I've seen:

 

[DougO 5250]

I couldn't find any damn comets. But I'm pretty sure I saw a UFO. Faint star started moving and disappeared.

[DougO 5250]

13 hours ago, ztejas said:

I need to know what gender the comet identifies as so I know whether to get my sandwich board and bell or not.

Science has been declared a symbol of white supremacy, so we're all fucked anyway.

[miguelito 11266]

I just saw Hubble, ISS, and the comet within about 10 minutes. 

 

The Heavens Above app is awesome for showing what satellites are overhead, and when the ISS will fly over 

Edited July 18, 2020 by miguelito
app

[DougO 5250]

With 7x binocs I just saw a barely perceptible light smudge that maybe could be it, but there's probably too much light pollution to really make it out, if that's even it. With 10x binocs I couldn't see shit because everything was squiggly.

[elfenix 34266]

can't see shit in houston tonight.  might have to drive out to the country somewhere past brookshire

Edited July 18, 2020 by elfenix

[Pato del Muerto 52507]

Local photographer and local statuary

[BrickHorn 18237]

We got about an hour outside of the city and were able to see it.  It was a barely visible smudge with the naked eye, but clear with cheap binoculars. Well worth the trip. I mean, what else are you gonna do on a Friday night during the plague? Might as well stare at an orbiting ice cube.

[High Plains Drifter 11050]

2 hours ago, BrickHorn said:

We got about an hour outside of the city and were able to see it.  It was a barely visible smudge with the naked eye, but clear with cheap binoculars. Well worth the trip. I mean, what else are you gonna do on a Friday night during the plague? Might as well stare at an orbiting ice cube.

 

what time?

 

[Nicole44 22060]

Saw it! Awesome!

[BrickHorn 18237]

6 hours ago, High Plains Drifter said:

what time?

The best time for viewing is between 9:30 and 10:00, I believe.

[Armybrat 40850]

Too much haze & light pollution up here in Brushy Creek. 
Did spot a polar orbiting satellite high up overhead moving north to south (not an aircraft).

[BrickHorn 18237]

1 hour ago, Armybrat said:

Too much haze & light pollution up here in Brushy Creek.

Yeah, you have to get out of town and even then it’s just barely visible.

[Brisketexan 105152]

Yeah, you have to get out of town and even then it’s just barely visible.

Thinking of heading to a spot on a CR outside of Bertram. Think that will do it?

[BrickHorn 18237]

21 minutes ago, Brisketexan said:

Thinking of heading to a spot on a CR outside of Bertram. Think that will do it?

Probably. Not sure how up to date this map is, but it should give you some idea of the light pollution in central Texas:

[Pato del Muerto 52507]

I think this is it- from our backyard. I’ll look again as it gets dark. 
 

[Brisketexan 105152]

I think this is it- from our backyard. I’ll look again as it gets dark. 
 

What time did you get that?

[Pato del Muerto 52507]

Right before I posted- so about 9:10 mountain time. It was gone a few minutes ago, so rotation of earth I guess. 

[Mole 4333]

I live in the sticks. I was able to see it by looking a bit to the side of where it is. Once I focused my eyes on it, gone. Saw some nice meteor showers as well

[Nice Guy Eddie 13515]

I caught it tonight about 70 miles outside Houston in the middle of nowhere. It was extremely dark before it came into view and then you still needed binoculars to really see it.

find the Big Dipper and look down, and if city lights don’t let you see the Big Dipper, then you won’t see the comet. It’s faint.

[Brisketexan 105152]

Took a road trip tonight with the family to see it (WTF else are we gonna do with our time?)
Stopped at Storm’s in Burnet for a burger and some tots. Then headed a few miles up 281 towards Lampasas. Turned west on CR 103, drove several miles more into the darkness, found a good spot to pull over, and waited.
It wasn’t really visible till around 9:20. Then from around 9:30-9:45, it peaked, and it was really fucking cool. You could see it with eve naked eye, but binoculars made it significantly better. No good camera, so we just grabbed memories. But it was pretty damned awesome. Out there in the dark and quiet, looking at something we won’t see again for close to 7,000 years...that’s just cool.
Seriously, if you’re in Austin, I recommend the spot. We looked at a dark skies map, and it’s about the closest spot with really dark sky, just over an hour away.