Comet Temple 9P Fremont Peak Observation

by Peter Natscher

I was up at the Fremont Peak-FPOA Area watching the comet Temple with my 20" Starmaster along with a few others. At 10 pm, the comet appeared as a distinct 60 arc-sec glow with a 1 min. fan-shaped tail extending to the SE at 375X. There was no stellar nucleus to be seen at that time but only a brightening towards the nucleus. By 11pm and afterwards, I noticed a distinct stellar nucleus in the mag. 13-14 range with the surrounding cometary haze similar to its earlier appearance. Seeing was improving by midnight for the 20" scope after a prolonged cool down from the hot asphalt parking lot, but the comet was dropping lower in the west. The good seeing at 11pm allowed sharp resolution of the comet's stellar nucleus.

Posted on sf-bay-tac Jul 04, 2005 16:31:06 PT
Converted by report.pm 1.2 Sep 26, 2005 20:47:16 PT