Thanks Dennis for the very nice report.
Did you try to spot Comet Linear?
It's in Pisces and seems like it is a race between twilight and the comet
rising. I got to get out and see these before full Moon.
Mike
On Wed, 28 Apr 2004, Dennis Beckley wrote:
> This morning I shocked my system by getting up at the
> ungodly hour of 4:00 to try and view Comet Bradfield.
> I'd seen SOHO images of it last week as it circled
> around the sun which were pretty fantastic - showing a
> beautiful huge tail.
>
> Now it's outward bound and a very early morning object
> low in the Northeast just down from beta Andromeda.
>
> I packed my 10 X 70mm Fujinon binoculars, binocular
> mount, MegaStar chart, red light, handbearing compass,
> and a big cup of coffee and started driving north on
> I-680 away from Benica looking for a suitably dark
> off-road site to set up where I wouldn't attract
> unwanted attention.
>
> About half way to Cordelia I found an old farm road
> and set up a grassy knoll. I couldn't believe that I
> could actually see the summer Milky Way with all the
> light pollution from the various surrounding cities.
> Not bad!
>
> I set my fuji's on Beta Andromeda and started moving
> down towards the horizon and all of a sudden it hit
> me!
>
> What a gorgeous sight! Fantastic 4-5 degree tail
> heading up from the horizon attached to this bright
> bluish-white condensed nucleous! I could just see the
> nucleous naked-eye.
>
> It was surreal - just me on the grassy knoll with the
> wind blowing looking for several minutes at this
> beautiful comet!
>
> As twilight rapidly brightened, I packed up and headed
> back home and to bed around 5:30. I just wish someone
> else could have been there to share in this memorable
> experience.
>
> Dennis Beckley
>
>
>
>
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Received on Wed Apr 28 15:57:33 2004