Veteran comet hunter Don Machholz has discovered his tenth comet, C/2004 Q2 (Machholz). See http://skyandtelescope.com/printable/news/...rticle_1336.asp for the story. An ephemeris is available at http://cfa-www.harvard.edu/iau/Ephemerides...ets/2004Q2.html

Dave Mitsky

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Chance favors the prepared mind.
De gustibus non est disputandum.
Never attribute to malice that which can be adequately explained by stupidity.

Here is a finder chart for 2005 for you.

PLEASE VISIT THE TOPIC "NEW COMET DISCOVERIES SEPT 2004".

January 8 Magnitude 4.1 Machholz Little north of Pleiades.
January 28 Magnitude 4.7 comet Machholz next to double cluster in Perseus.
March 9 Magnitude 6.6 Machholz moves past the pole star.
May 8 Magnitude 9.4 comet moves into the plough left of the star Megrez.

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Richard Pearson
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Does it have the potential of becoming visible to the unaided eye?

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Comet Machholz Q2 is predicted to reach fourth magnitude or brighter. If that, in fact, comes to pass the comet should be visible to the naked-eye from a dark site. It goes without saying that one should always take cometary magnitude predictions with a grain of salt.

Here's another finder chart that's good for September:

http://www.skyhound.com/sh/2004_Q2.gif

I used this chart to observe the comet through a highly modified 10" f/4.5 Meade Dobsonian this morning. Prior to that I saw it during the Black Forest Star Party through my friend's 14.5" Starmaster. C/2004 Q2 (Machholz) is currently heading eastward through Eridanus towards Lepus.

Dave Mitsky

__________________
Chance favors the prepared mind.
De gustibus non est disputandum.
Never attribute to malice that which can be adequately explained by stupidity.

I observed Comet Machholz Q2 again on Thursday morning as it neared the Lepus-Eridanus border using the 17" classical Cassegrain at the Naylor Observatory.

Dave Mitsky

__________________
Chance favors the prepared mind.
De gustibus non est disputandum.
Never attribute to malice that which can be adequately explained by stupidity.

were you able to get some pics Dave?

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Damien,
International Baccalaureate Physics teacher
Spectroradiometry Instrumentation Major
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