Watching Comets ... and Waiting on White Smoke

So, I went last night and tried to see the comet. The weather cooperated, although the comet did not. I couldn't see it. Too much ambient light coming from the nearby street lights and the glow of the sky around the moon. Maybe if I had a telescope or binoculars but being a storm chaser vs a comet chaser I don't have either handy.

I stood under a magnolia tree facing west at a spot where the horizon is almost visible and either I was a bit to late or not in the right spot ...but I only saw an awesome sliver of a new moon... but no comet. The moon was the smallest sliver, delicate looking as it hung low looking almost fragile appearing just moments after sunset.

This picture was taken in Charlotte and posted on Facebook by Brad Panovitch and on his Twitter account https://twitter.com/wxbrad.

The key here is to go up high, somewhere away from too much light. The roof top of a parking deck possibly, the Florida Keys definitely. Imagine looking out over the marsh on the Outer Banks you can see it as well.  Tonight it climbs higher, further from the trees and with luck I'll see it.

There are a few charts below posted online that tell you where to look, but now that you know what to look for it might be easier.



http://www.skyandtelescope.com/observing/ataglance

I retrospect I may have seen a bit of the tail as a light glow a few minutes after I took that picture and my cellphone informed me that the battery was too low to take pictures........

http://vimeo.com/61596987

Shows how the comet looks getting closer to the horizon...

Good luck...

In other news.................there has only been black smoke no white smoke.

Still watching... 

My brother suggested we drive down to the Grotto in Key West at St. Marys..

Wait for word on the Pope and light a candle for the hurricane season and...

watch the comet at sunset in Key West..

Sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo........................

If you are IN the Florida Keys... 

you got a prime spot for comet watching

Take pics!

Besos Bobbi

Ps... am going to look on Pinterest and Instagram for good pics...so start posting