Comet neowise

[rjb]

Anyone seen it
I went out after sunset to try and see it but no show. I had a panoramic view across the Somerset levels from NW to NE. Stayed out until 11.00 but no viewings. The sky was very red, and I was surprised how bright it appeared. Lots of stars visible higher up but not low down. I've read conflicting information saying it's best after sunset looking NW to others saying it's NE before sunrise.
Do you need binoculars or is it visible without.

I took a 35mm slide transparency of the last comet I saw - was it Hale Bop? . When I had finished the film roll some 6 months later and had the film processed I found a slide which to all intent and purposes looked like a fluorescent tube. I couldn't recall taking this so put it down to a mistake and binned it. Only later did it dawn on me what it was.

[rotavator]

I saw it last night for the first time, at 23.10, using binoculars. It was between the Plough and the horizon, in the NW. It just looked like a fuzzy blob with a short tail so not as spectacular as the photos I am sorry to say, otherwise everybody would have been out looking for it!

[rjb]

Ok thanks for the info. I saw the plough so now know where to look next time. Monday night is forecast to have very good visibility here on the somerset levels so fingers crossed.

[sjs]

We saw it around 11:30 a few days ago, a few degrees above the horizon, probably a bit west of north. The sky rotates anticlockwise around the pole, so it moves east as the night goes on. Clearly visible to the naked eye, with a decent tail, so I was impressed. Having said that, my wife claimed not to be able to see it at all except through binoculars. My own eyesight is not particularly acute, so I conclude she must be nearly blind.

[Mick F]

11:30pm?

Fast asleep by then, and been (and will be shortly) fast asleep from 9pm as usual.
Up at 5am or even earlier most mornings though.

Must say though, when I've got up for a call of nature in the middle of the night, I can't remember the last time the sky was clear enough to see the stars at all, let alone a comet.

Back in the days when we lived in the east of Scotland, I had a nice big telescope and was an avid star-gazer. Crystal clear skies at night.
Moved down to Cornwall, and it was little more than useless, so I sold it.

We see the stars in the crisp cold winters .............. but summer?
Too much humidity and haze to see anything useful at all.

[Pebble]

been watching it the last few nights (cloud toninght though) can certainly make tail out with 16x70 binoculars - but don't expect to have your socks blown off.

it's position is highlighted on this web site
https://stellarium-web.org/
look just west of north below the plough - it's getting a little bit west evey evening which is something I'm struggling to get my head round - it was nearly under Cappela when I first spotted it!

[rjb]

Saw it last night with bins, just below the plough as advised. Once you know where to look you could see it with the naked eye but as Pebble stated - "it didn't blow my socks off"

[Mick F]

Fast asleep until 11:15 and I got up and had a look.
It still wasn't dark and very few stars were visible.

Awake again at 2:30 and the stars were out bright and shining ........... but only in some parts of the sky as it was hazy out there.

[philg]

SWMBO saw it at 2:30am, needed the 10x50 bins for a reasonable view.
I now know where to look for it thanks to free app Stellarium - might try tonight if skies still clear.

[Chris56]

We were outside last night with the telescope and the SLR. Got some decent shots of it but seeing it is a challenge due to it being low in the sky and in the northwest.

If you look to the south however Saturn and Jupiter appear right next to each other. Tonight is meant to be clear, a new moon and Saturn is in opposition. With a modest pair of binoculars you can see its rings. Below is a picture I took just by holding my phone to the telescope eyepiece: