Saturday, January 15, 2005

Comet Machholtz in the cold

Went outside our place in North Royalton at about 10:30 PM to look for Comet Machholtz (C2004 Q2). Very cold (20 F) with haze on the horizon, semi-transparency overhead. Used my Nikon binoculars, handheld and was able to see the comet as a large "fuzz ball" through the eyepieces; no tail visible. It was in the constellation Perseus near the star Algol and not too hard to spot. Also enjoyed nice views of the Orion Nebula and the Pleiades.