FreeLists / az-observing / [AZ-Observing] Barnard 2

[Mark Wainright <mwainright@xxxxxxxxx>]

Hi,
   
  Last night I went out to Peralta Trailhead road to view comet Barnard 2.  It 
has a 117 year period, so it hasn't been seen since 1889.  It was a chance to 
brush with history and rarity.  The first quarter moon didn't hinder the 
viewing too much.  The comet was between 8th and 9th magnitude, probably closer 
to 9th.  The coma was very diffuse, no central condensation at all.  I saw 
about 5 arcmin of coma.  This comet will fade slowly over the next couple of 
weeks, so it should be a good object for the next new moon.  One article I read 
said that our apparation is better than when Barnard first discovered it.
   
  Clear skies,
  Mark
                                
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