Can we see Elenin in a Backyard Telescope?

[AutoBoof]

When will be the best time to view it?

How big of a scope do you need to see it now?


Thanks,
Chris

[RickJ]

Yes, but it is rather lost in the bright evening sky if you are at my latitude. The further south you are the darker the sky and the better the view. Those in the southern hemisphere can see it in dark skies. I've seen magnitude estimates of 8 to 10. The former would be easy in binoculars, the latter a small telescope in dark skies. It is pretty much a dud so few are following it.

One source with a small map showing its position is http://www.heavens-above.com. Once you enter your position you will go to a menu that has a line for comets with Elenin listed.

A source of an ephemeris is http://www.minorplanetcenter.org/iau/MPEph/MPEph.html Enter its designation C/2010 X1 and NOT its name Elenin. Spaces and capitalization are important. This will give you a 20 day ephemeris which you can mark on any star chart. This source will give the data needed for most any planetarium program to plot the comet. This will show its relation to the sun and your horizon.

Rick

[ngc3314]

I had a quick look at it with the SARA 0.6m remote telescope in Chile, in evening twilight on July 25. This is a 5-minute red-light exposure tracked on the comet, within 30 degrees of the horizon. The field shown is about 5.5x7 arcminutes the horizontal streak to the lower right of the comet is a reflection from a star outside the field. Not the most interesting of comets at this point.

Elenin-R-25July2011.jpg