Comet Chasing in February

Comet chasing is the visual observation of telescopic comets.

News

Improvements

I've made improvements to the program that generates this page.  Up to now the code I developed for SkyTools 3 to predict the visibility of a comet in the eyepiece had only been partially implemented here.  Predicting how much aperture is required to see a comet is a very complex task.  Have a look for yourself: a comparison of the predictions below (such as "visible in small telescopes") to the magnitude of each comet shows just how poor an indicator the magnitude alone really is.  Now, when you read below that a particular aperture is required to see a comet, you can have a reasonable degree of confidence that the comet can in fact be seen in the eyepiece.

 

Make your own custom charts and predictions for your location and equipment: software for comet observing

Comet Synopses for February

Explanation of Comet Synopses and charts (read this if you have questions)  

Charts look poor or grainy? Read this.

81P/Wild: A morning comet visible in small telescopes
This comet begins the month in Virgo at magnitude 9.8. Look for a 5.5' coma. It should brighten slowly.  FINDER_CHART
Latitude Visibility January 30 Visibility February 6 Visibility February 13 Visibility February 20 Visibility February 27 Nights Visible
55o N Fairly high in moonlight at ~04:30 Fairly high in the southern sky at ~03:30 Fairly high in the southern sky at ~04:00 Fairly high in the southern sky at ~03:40 Fairly high in the southern sky in moonlight at ~03:20 1-
40o N High in moonlight at ~04:30 Fairly high at ~02:10 High at ~04:00 High at ~03:40 High in moonlight at ~03:10 1-
Equator High in moonlight at ~04:30 High in moonlight at ~04:20 High at ~04:00 High at ~03:40 High in moonlight at ~03:10 1-
30o S High during morning twilight at ~04:00 High in moonlight at ~04:00 High at ~04:00 High at ~03:40 High in moonlight at ~03:10 1-

C/2007 Q3 (Siding Spring): A morning comet visible in small telescopes
This comet begins the month in Bootes at magnitude 10.6. Look for a 2' coma. It should fade slowly.  FINDER_CHART
Latitude Visibility January 30 Visibility February 6 Visibility February 13 Visibility February 20 Visibility February 27 Nights Visible
55o N High in moonlight at ~05:10 High at ~03:30 High at ~05:10 High at ~04:50 High in moonlight at ~03:20 1-
40o N High in moonlight at ~05:10 High at ~02:20 High at ~05:10 High at ~05:00 High in moonlight at ~03:40 1-
Equator High during morning twilight at ~05:00 High in moonlight at ~05:00 High at ~04:50 High at ~04:50 Fairly high in moonlight at ~04:00 1-
30o S Low in the northern sky during morning twilight at ~04:20 Low in the northern sky during morning twilight at ~04:20 Low in the northern sky during morning twilight at ~04:20 Low in the northern sky during morning twilight at ~04:30 Very low in the northern sky during morning twilight at ~04:30 1-

C/2009 K5 (McNaught): A morning comet visible in a 6-inch telescope
This comet begins the month in Sagittarius at magnitude 12.2. Look for a 50" coma. It should brighten by about 1.1 magnitudes, moving into Scutum by month's end.  FINDER_CHART
Latitude Visibility January 30 Visibility February 6 Visibility February 13 Visibility February 20 Visibility February 27 Nights Visible
55o N Not visible Very low in the eastern sky during morning twilight at ~06:10 Low in the eastern sky during morning twilight at ~05:50 Low in the eastern sky during morning twilight at ~05:30 Low in the eastern sky during morning twilight at ~05:20 1-
40o N Low in the eastern sky during morning twilight at ~06:00 Low in the eastern sky during morning twilight at ~05:50 Low in the eastern sky during morning twilight at ~05:30 Fairly high in the eastern sky during morning twilight at ~05:20 Fairly high in the eastern sky during morning twilight at ~05:20 1-
Equator Fairly high in the eastern sky during morning twilight at ~05:10 Fairly high in the eastern sky during morning twilight at ~05:10 Fairly high in the eastern sky during morning twilight at ~05:00 Fairly high during morning twilight at ~05:00 High during morning twilight at ~05:10 1-
30o S Low in the eastern sky during morning twilight at ~04:20 Fairly high in the eastern sky during morning twilight at ~04:20 Fairly high in the eastern sky during morning twilight at ~04:20 Fairly high in the eastern sky during morning twilight at ~04:30 Fairly high during morning twilight at ~04:40 1-

118P/Shoemaker-Levy: An evening comet visible in an 8-inch telescope
This comet begins the month in Orion at magnitude 11.8. Look for a 1.5' coma. It should fade by about 0.5 magnitudes by month's end.  FINDER_CHART
Latitude Visibility January 30 Visibility February 6 Visibility February 13 Visibility February 20 Visibility February 27 Nights Visible
55o N High in moonlight at ~21:20 High at ~20:40 High at ~20:20 High in moonlight at ~19:50 High in moonlight at ~19:40 1-
40o N High in moonlight at ~21:20 High at ~20:40 High at ~20:20 High in moonlight at ~19:50 High in moonlight at ~19:40 1-
Equator High in moonlight at ~21:20 High at ~20:40 High at ~20:20 High in moonlight at ~19:50 High in moonlight at ~19:40 1-
30o S High in moonlight at ~21:10 High at ~20:40 High at ~20:30 Fairly high at ~22:00 High during evening twilight at ~19:50 1-

169P/NEAT: An evening comet visible in very large telescopes
This comet begins the month in Hydra at magnitude 11.9. Look for a 5.5' coma. It should fade rapidly.  FINDER_CHART
Latitude Visibility January 30 Visibility February 6 Visibility February 13 Visibility February 20 Visibility February 27 Nights Visible
55o N Low in the southern sky in moonlight at ~00:30 Fairly high in the southern sky at ~23:50 Fairly high at ~23:10 Fairly high in moonlight at ~22:20 Fairly high in moonlight at ~22:10 1-
40o N Fairly high in the southern sky in moonlight at ~00:30 Fairly high at ~23:50 High at ~23:10 High at ~00:20 High in moonlight at ~22:10 1-
Equator High in moonlight at ~00:20 High at ~23:50 High at ~23:10 High at ~23:00 High in moonlight at ~22:00 1-
30o S High in moonlight at ~00:20 High at ~23:40 High at ~23:10 High at ~22:40 High in moonlight at ~22:00 1-

P/2009 Q4 (Boattini): A morning comet visible in very large telescopes
This comet begins the month in Leo at magnitude 12.3. Look for a 2.5' coma. It should fade by about 0.9 magnitudes by month's end.  FINDER_CHART
Latitude Visibility January 30 Visibility February 6 Visibility February 13 Visibility February 20 Visibility February 27 Nights Visible
55o N High in moonlight at ~02:10 High at ~01:30 High at ~01:00 High at ~01:20 High in moonlight at ~00:10 1-
40o N High in moonlight at ~02:00 High at ~01:30 High at ~01:00 High at ~00:30 High in moonlight at ~00:00 1-
Equator High in moonlight at ~02:10 High at ~00:40 High at ~01:00 High at ~00:30 High in moonlight at ~00:00 1-
30o S High in moonlight at ~02:10 Fairly high at ~23:40 High at ~01:00 Fairly high at ~00:30 Fairly high in moonlight at ~00:00 1-

19P/Borrelly: A morning comet visible in very large telescopes
This comet begins the month in Serpens Caput at magnitude 13.0. Look for a 3' coma. It should fade slowly.  FINDER_CHART
Latitude Visibility January 30 Visibility February 6 Visibility February 13 Visibility February 20 Visibility February 27 Nights Visible
55o N Fairly high during morning twilight at ~05:50 Fairly high at ~05:40 Fairly high at ~05:20 Fairly high at ~05:00 Fairly high in moonlight at ~04:20 1-
40o N High during morning twilight at ~05:40 High in moonlight at ~05:30 High at ~05:20 High at ~05:10 High in moonlight at ~04:10 1-
Equator High during morning twilight at ~05:00 High in moonlight at ~05:00 High at ~05:00 High at ~04:50 High in moonlight at ~04:00 1-
30o S High during morning twilight at ~04:10 High during morning twilight at ~04:10 High at ~04:10 High at ~04:20 High in moonlight at ~04:00 1-

29P/Schwassmann-Wachmann: A morning comet visible in very large telescopes
This comet continues to have periodic outbursts where it brightens by a magnitude or more.  It begins the month in Leo at a (nominal) magnitude of 13.5. Look for a 1' coma. It should remain constant over the month other than for the outbursts.  FINDER_CHART
Latitude Visibility January 30 Visibility February 6 Visibility February 13 Visibility February 20 Visibility February 27 Nights Visible
55o N Fairly high in moonlight at ~21:30 High at ~00:30 High at ~00:00 High at ~01:20 High in moonlight at ~23:30 1-
40o N Fairly high in moonlight at ~21:40 High at ~00:30 High at ~00:00 High at ~00:20 High in moonlight at ~23:20 1-
Equator High in moonlight at ~21:50 High at ~00:30 High at ~00:00 High at ~23:30 High in moonlight at ~23:20 1-
30o S Fairly high in moonlight at ~22:10 High at ~23:40 High at ~00:00 High at ~23:30 High in moonlight at ~23:10 1-

 

Summary Data for This Month's Telescopic Comets

Here's a list of the comets brighter than 15th magnitude.  This table is updated as necessary.  The last column indicates the date of the last observation used to compute these values.  The constellation listed is where the comet was on the first of the month.
Comet Constellation

February 1st

February 15th

February 28th

 Observations as of (UT)
Mag Diam Mag Diam Mag Diam
81P/Wild Virgo 9.8 4.3' 9.5 4.9' 9.3 5.3' 2010 January 23
C/2006 W3 (Christensen)* Sagittarius 10.0? 4.5'? 10.0? 4.5'? 10.1? 4.6'? 2009 December 5
C/2007 Q3 (Siding Spring) Bootes 10.6 2.1' 10.7 2.0' 10.9 2.0' 2010 January 23
118P/Shoemaker-Levy Orion 11.8 1.4' 12.0 1.2' 12.3 1.1' 2010 January 13
169P/NEAT Hydra 11.9? 6.1'? 13.1? 4.0'? 14.1? 2.9'? 2009 December 7
C/2009 K5 (McNaught) Sagittarius 12.2 41" 11.7 46" 11.1 53" 2010 January 22
P/2009 Q4 (Boattini) Leo 12.3? 2.7'? 12.7? 2.5'? 13.2? 2.2'? 2009 December 12
19P/Borrelly Serpens Caput 13.0 3.1' 13.0 3.2' 13.1 3.3' 2009 September 19
29P/Schwassmann-Wachmann Leo 13.5 1.0' 13.5 1.0' 13.5 1.0' 2010 January 25
217P/LINEAR Taurus 13.6 59" 14.2 50" 14.7 43" 2010 January 13

*In solar conjunction and not visible

For the latest news and comet observations see the ICQ/CBAT/MPC: Recent Comet Magnitude Estimates page.  The Astronomical Headlines page of the IAU is also a good source of information, particularly for recent discoveries.

For general information about comets see Gary W. Kronk's Cometography 

Join the Comet Chasing discussion group 

Further reading: see Comet Chasing, Sky & Telescope, April 2005, pg. 83.

Make your own custom charts for your location and telescope/binoculars: software for comet observing
 

Links
Skyhound's Guide to Comets
Skyhound's Guide to Finding Comets
BAA Comet Section
Astronomical Headlines (IAU)
Cometography