Gallery: Hartley 2
Observation made by Scott Paisley
| Image Parameter | Details |
| Comments: | [Originally posted to the NOVAC listserve and reprinted here w/ permission. Other responses in the discussion are not included.]
Ah yeah, I meant to do that... Yeah... and, Ah, yes, ELUSIVE would make more sense. ELUSIVE! No wonder I couldn't find it. Hard to locate something you think is there when it's not. lol, Seriously, thanks for pointing that out, and yah, hopefully not an elaborate hoax. But wow, what a hoax that would be. Welcome to the grand illusion. As I posted from my iphone earlier today, I think I found the comet as well. This time I was able to use HIP 23369 as a reference and my location time was 4:30-5:30 am Sept 18th. Using the Hartley 2 coords I added to Stellarium, and verifying that this was close to where the Sky and Telescope charts said this comet should be, I think I had a pretty good view on it. When I dialed in HIP 23369 on my 8" scope, I could see what would appear as a faint fuzzy in the lower part of my 34mm eyepiece. I had to slew a bit to get it into my field of view, but it was definitely there. What was interesting was that the "fuzz" as I will call it, would "shadow" the nucleus of the comet. That is the nucleus would wink at me. I think perhaps that the comet likes me. Could have been atmosphere disturbance, but I did view this object for about an hour, and it was moving at a different rate than the stars. Wish I had the expertise to image the sucker... Hmm, maybe that's why it's a hobby. :P Terry, the object you describe is similar to what I saw in my scope. Although the nucleus was to one side of the fuzz, which I'm going to assume was the coma of the tail. Hard to be sure, but it sure feels right. Again, thanks for all the help, and I do hope to get another glimpse and validate what I saw over the next few weeks. BTW, I did get another grand view at the Orion nebula, and even dialed in Sirius after dawn. It's always cool to look at a star after the sun is already over the horizon. :) Cheers, -Scott |
| Image Date/Time: | 2010-10-18 |
| Observing Site: | Ashburn, VA |
Table 1: Data about observation.