| Links
Skyhound's Guide to Comets Skyhound's Guide to Finding Comets BAA Comet Section Astronomical Headlines (IAU) Cometography |
Comet
Chasing in May
Comet chasing is the visual
observation of telescopic comets.
C/2007 W1 (Boattini) is visible in binoculars.
Comet
Synopses for May
Explanation
of Comet Synopses and charts (read this if you have questions) Charts look poor or grainy? Read this.
C/2007
W1 (Boattini): An evening comet visible in binoculars 17P/Holmes:
An evening comet visible in binoculars C/2008 C1 (Chen-Gao): An
evening comet visible in small telescopes C/2006 Q1 (McNaught): An
evening comet visible in small telescopes 8P/Tuttle: A southern
hemisphere evening comet visible in an 8-inch telescope C/2007 B2 (Skiff): An
evening comet visible in a 6-inch telescope 46P/Wirtanen: An evening
comet visible in an 8-inch telescope C/2005 L3 (McNaught): An
evening comet visible in a 14-inch telescope
This comet begins the month in Hydra at magnitude 7.0. Look for
a 18.8' coma. It should brighten rapidly, moving into Puppis by month's end. The
best visibility is early in the month as seen from the southern hemisphere.
FINDER CHART
Latitude
Visibility May 3
Visibility May 10
Visibility May 17
Visibility May 24
Visibility May 31
Nights Visible
55o
N
Not visible
Not visible
Not visible
Not visible
Not visible
1-6
40o
N
Fairly high in the southern sky
at ~20:50
Fairly high in the southern sky
during evening twilight at ~20:40
Not visible
Not visible
Not visible
1-24
Equator
High at ~19:50
Fairly high in the western sky
at ~23:20
High during evening twilight at
~19:00
High at ~19:20
Fairly high in the western sky
at ~19:20
1-
30o S
High at ~19:50
High at ~22:20
High during evening twilight at
~18:30
High at ~18:40
High at ~18:40
1-
This comet is in super outburst, having brightened by many
magnitudes on the night of October 24. It is in Perseus moving
slowly. As of May 2 it is fading but still at magnitude 6. Don't
be fooled by the integrated magnitude--use binoculars or a small telescope with
a wide field of view to look for something very similar to a
large very faint diffuse nebula. FINDER CHART
Latitude
Visibility May 3
Visibility May 10
Visibility May 17
Visibility May 24
Visibility May 31
Nights Visible
55o
N
Low in the western sky during
evening twilight at ~22:30
Low in the western sky during
evening twilight at ~22:30
Not visible
Not visible
Not visible
1-14
40o
N
Fairly high in the western sky
at ~20:50
Low in the western sky during
evening twilight at ~20:40
Not visible
Very low in the western sky
during evening twilight at ~21:10
Not visible
1-18, 21-
Equator
Low in the western sky at
~19:10
Low in the western sky during
evening twilight at ~19:10
Not visible
Very low in the western sky
during evening twilight at ~19:10
Not visible
1-16, 21-
30o S
Very low in the northern sky
during evening twilight at ~18:30
Not visible
Not visible
Not visible
Not visible
1-13
This comet begins the month in Orion at magnitude 10.1. Look for
a 14.4' coma. It should fade by about 0.8 magnitudes, moving into Monoceros by
month's end. FINDER CHART
Latitude
Visibility May 3
Visibility May 10
Visibility May 17
Visibility May 24
Visibility May 31
Nights Visible
55o
N
Not visible
Not visible
Not visible
Not visible
Not visible
40o
N
Low in the western sky at
~20:40
Not visible
Not visible
Not visible
Not visible
1-8
Equator
Fairly high at ~19:20
Not visible
Not visible
Fairly high in the western sky
at ~19:20
Fairly high in the western sky
at ~19:20
1-11, 21-
30o S
Fairly high in the western sky
at ~18:50
Fairly high during evening
twilight at ~18:40
Not visible
Fairly high at ~18:40
Fairly high at ~18:40
1-16, 22-
This comet begins the month in Antila at magnitude 10.6. Look
for a 1.9' coma. It should fade slowly, moving into Hydra by month's end. The
best visibility is early in the month as seen from the southern
hemisphere. FINDER CHART
Latitude
Visibility May 3
Visibility May 10
Visibility May 17
Visibility May 24
Visibility May 31
Nights Visible
55o
N
Not visible
Not visible
Not visible
Not visible
Not visible
40o
N
Fairly high in the southern sky
at ~20:40
Fairly high in the southern sky
during evening twilight at ~20:40
Not visible
Low in the western sky during
evening twilight at ~21:10
Low in the western sky during
evening twilight at ~21:20
1-
Equator
High at ~19:30
High in moonlight at ~19:20
High during evening twilight at
~19:10
High at ~19:20
High at ~19:30
1-
30o S
High at ~19:10
Fairly high at ~22:20
High in moonlight at ~18:40
High at ~18:50
High at ~18:40
1-
This comet begins the month in Carina at magnitude 10.5. Look
for a 2.4' coma. It should fade rapidly. The best visibility is late in the
month as seen from the southern hemisphere. FINDER CHART
Latitude
Visibility May 3
Visibility May 10
Visibility May 17
Visibility May 24
Visibility May 31
Nights Visible
55o
N
Not visible
Not visible
Not visible
Not visible
Not visible
40o
N
Not visible
Not visible
Not visible
Not visible
Not visible
Equator
Low in the southern sky at
~19:20
Fairly high in the southern sky
during evening twilight at ~19:10
Not visible
Fairly high in the southern sky
at ~19:20
Fairly high in the southern sky
at ~19:20
1-14, 21-
30o S
High at ~19:00
Fairly high in the southern sky
at ~22:20
High during evening twilight at
~18:30
High at ~18:50
High at ~18:40
1-
This comet begins the month in Virgo at magnitude 11.9. Look for
a 1.5' coma. It should remain constant. FINDER CHART
Latitude
Visibility May 3
Visibility May 10
Visibility May 17
Visibility May 24
Visibility May 31
Nights Visible
55o
N
Fairly high during evening
twilight at ~22:50
Fairly high during evening
twilight at ~22:50
Not visible
Low in the western sky during
evening twilight at ~23:20
Not visible
1-13, 15-17, 21-
40o
N
High at ~21:20
Fairly high in the western sky
at ~00:30
High during evening twilight at
~20:40
High at ~21:20
Fairly high at ~21:30
1-
Equator
High at ~21:10
High at ~23:20
High in moonlight at ~20:00
High at ~19:50
High at ~19:40
1-
30o S
High at ~21:10
High at ~22:20
High in moonlight at ~20:10
High at ~19:50
High at ~19:20
1-
This comet begins the month in Gemini at magnitude 12.4. Look
for a 2.6' coma. It should fade rapidly, moving into Leo by month's end. FINDER CHART
Latitude
Visibility May 3
Visibility May 10
Visibility May 17
Visibility May 24
Visibility May 31
Nights Visible
55o
N
Fairly high during evening
twilight at ~22:40
Not visible
Not visible
Not visible
Not visible
1-10
40o
N
High at ~20:50
High during evening twilight at
~20:50
Not visible
Fairly high at ~21:20
Fairly high at ~21:30
1-11, 21-
Equator
High at ~19:20
High in moonlight at ~19:10
Not visible
High at ~19:20
High at ~19:30
1-12, 21-
30o S
Fairly high in the northern sky
at ~18:50
Fairly high in the northern sky
during evening twilight at ~18:40
Not visible
Fairly high in the northern sky
at ~18:40
Fairly high in the northern sky
at ~18:40
1-15, 22-
This comet begins the month in Hercules at magnitude 13.7. Look
for a 41" coma. It should remain constant, moving into Serpens Caput by
month's end. FINDER CHART
Latitude
Visibility May 3
Visibility May 10
Visibility May 17
Visibility May 24
Visibility May 31
Nights Visible
55o
N
High at ~00:40
High during morning twilight at
~01:20
High during morning twilight at
~00:20
High during evening twilight at
~00:00
High during evening twilight at
~00:00
1-
40o
N
High at ~01:40
High at ~01:00
High during morning twilight at
~03:20
High at ~23:10
High at ~23:20
1-
Equator
High at ~01:40
High at ~01:00
Fairly high in the western sky
at ~04:20
High at ~21:50
High at ~23:20
1-
30o S
High at ~01:40
High at ~01:00
Very low in the western sky at
~05:10
Fairly high in the eastern sky
at ~20:50
Fairly high at ~23:20
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 |
May 1st |
May 15th |
May 31st |
Observations as of (UT) | |||
| Mag | Diam | Mag | Diam | Mag | Diam | |||
| 17P/Holmes | Auriga | 5.9 | 60' | 6.1 | 60' | 6.3 | 60' | 2008 April 4 |
| C/2007 W1 (Boattini) | Hydra | 7.0 | 17.9' | 5.9 | 22.5' | 4.6 | 30.1' | 2008 April 29 |
| C/2008 C1 (Chen-Gao) | Orion | 10.2 | 14.3' | 10.5 | 13.3' | 11.0 | 12.2' | 2008 April 24 |
| 8P/Tuttle | Carina | 10.6 | 2.8' | 11.3 | 2.7' | 12.3 | 2.4' | 2008 April 15 |
| C/2006 Q1 (McNaught) | Antila | 10.6 | 1.9' | 10.7 | 1.9' | 10.8 | 1.8' | 2008 April 4 |
| C/2007 B2 (Skiff) | Virgo | 11.9 | 1.5' | 12.0 | 1.4' | 12.0 | 1.3' | 2008 April 10 |
| 46P/Wirtanenn | Cancer | 12.4 | 2.6' | 13.1 | 2.3' | 14.0 | 2.0' | 2008 March 30 |
| C/2007 T1 (McNaught) | Monoceros | 13.5 | 1.8' | 14.0 | 1.6' | 14.6 | 1.4' | 2008 March 24 |
| C/2005 L3 (McNaught) | Hercules | 13.7 | 41" | 13.7 | 41" | 13.7 | 40" | 2008 March 6 |
| C/2006 W3 (Christensen) | Camelopardus | 14.7 | 29" | 14.6 | 29" | 14.5 | 29" | 2008 March 8 |
| 29P/Schwassmann-Wachmann | Auriga | 14.7 | 28" | 14.8 | 28" | 14.8 | 27" | 2008 April 6 |
*In solar conjunction and not visible
For the latest news and comet observations see Recent News and Observations from the Comet Observation Home Page, or 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.
All predictions and charts were made
with my SkyTools 2 observing software.
Specific information regarding its
many unique comet observing features can be found here.
| Links
Skyhound's Guide to Comets Skyhound's Guide to Finding Comets BAA Comet Section Astronomical Headlines (IAU) Cometography |
