A fast moving comet designated C/2006 VZ13 (LINEAR) is the best comet available for observation from the northern hemisphere at the moment. (I had to add extra spaces in the title to deal with the inability to post consecutive capital letters!)

I first observed this comet after the July ASH meeting on Monday night using the 17" f/15 classical Cassegrain at the ASH Naylor Observatory. Despite very hazy skies, the comet and its centrally condensed coma were visible.

On Thursday night, my long-time observing partner Tony Donnangelo and I drove to an ASH dark site in the Tuscarora State Forest. There were far more clouds than the forecast of mostly clear skies called for but there were times when the sky was completely clear and the transparency was quite good. The Milky Way was mottled and full of detail, with the area south of the Teapot spout chock full of dark nebulae when viewed with binoculars. The VLM was in the lower to mid-sixth magnitude range.

One of the numerous celestial objects we observed that night was Comet LINEAR VZ13. We used my 8x42 Celestron Noble binocular, my mounted 15x70 Burgess binocular, my 101mm f/5.4 Tele Vue Genesis sdf refractor, Tony's 10x50 Celestron Ultima binocular, and Tony's 14.5" f/4.3 Starmaster Sky Tracker Dob.

The comet was in the vicinity of 34 Draconis at the time we began looking at it and was easily visible. Its magnitude was probably in the upper-seventh magnitude range. The coma had a noticeable central condensation and was rather large. Neither of us could see the tail that is visible in recent images. Tony saw the comet as being blue-green through his scope, while I perceived a very pale blue hue at times. C/2006 VZ13 (LINEAR) is moving rather fast across the northern sky. Its motion was readily apparent in an hour's time.

For more on this comet and others currently visible, browse http://www.skyhound.com/sh/skyhound.html

Other shallow-sky observing that night included watching a shadow transit by Io and observing four asteroids (two of which were very faint indeed) that neither of us had previously seen. Needless to say, we also observed a great many deep-sky objects of every variety.

Dave Mitsky

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

Thanks for the info, Dave! I am having a difficult time finding this comet. I think that the area I live in is too light-polluted. It seems that my threshhold is somewhere around magnitude 4 in that part of the sky, and anything dimmer just gets washed out. I hope that, as it moves towards the zenith, I might have a chance to see it.

I had the opportunity to observe C/2006 VZ13 (LINEAR) again on Saturday night through a friend's prize-winning 12.5" ATM Newtonian split-ring equatorial. It had moved quite a bit since the previous Thursday night and was located above the end of the handle of the Big Dipper.

Unfortunately, Comet LINEAR VZ13 is heading southward. (It will glide through Virgo next month, passing just to the east of several galaxies including M104.) Unless there's an outburst, the comet will also be growing dimmer at the same time.

http://cfa-www.harvard.edu/iau/Ephem...006VZ13_1.html

Dave Mitsky

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

Yes, I observed C/2006 VZ13 LINEAR last night. I used a 10" Newtonian. Did not have too much of a problem finding it. I also noted a pale bluish blue. It appeared mainly as a nebulous object. I did not see a tail or even a hint of one.
I estimate magnitude in the 7.6 - 7.7 area last night. I think perhaps it could be a binocular object in a dark sky.
Along with the comet becoming dimmer and the moon getting brighter, anyone wanting to catch a glimpse of it might want to make an attempt soon.

I would like to have watched it for a longer period of time to see if I could detect any apparent movement.
But the bugs (mosquitoes) were so bad I gave up and went back in side.
Perhaps I will get a chance another night, or at least a night that is not "The Night of the Bugs".

Ron W.