The given vs. the actual brightness of nearly all comets listed by MPC are
never close. Most will be dimmer (m2, nuclear magnitude if even that,
typically even dimmer than the value at MPC); some of the comets listed as
observable and, say as an example '15th magnitude', will not even be in the
range of large telescopes equipped with CCDs, to less than magnitude 20.
There is a long period between actual observational data being reported to
MPC and the updates of the comets list. Not only that, but the
calculations are using basic core data that, when all taken together, reveal
that a certain comet "should" be at a certain magnitude. Rarely do these
match up.
The best thing to go by in terms of whether a comet is actually visible or
not, is to compare what comets are visible (using Guide), or should be visible,
and the "Last Observations...." of comets which is updated every morning by MPC
at:
That latter list will give actual observed magnitudes of comets for the
LAST reported observation, some only hours old.
------------
Dr. Clay
Arkansas Sky Observatories
http://www.arksky.org/ASO Petit Jean
Mountain /MPC H41
ASO Petit Jean Mountain South /MPC H45
ASO West Conway
/MPC H43
.......serving astronomy since 1971
____________________
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Wednesday, October 28, 2015 4:38
PM
Subject: [guide-user] Re: Best OS to run
GUIDE 8
Thats
a lot of input group!
Many responses . all appreciated.
Im getting a new CD/DVD ROM as that is
part of issue . Seems picky where other machines will run the scuffed CD
fine?
The only online use I have used the "GUIDE only" laptop is Minor Planet
Center ,because the button in GUIDE 8 to update automatically just locks
up and beeps away.
So I am forced to go to MPC and get the soft02.cmt file and dump into the
GUIDE cache and click it , usually the new comets can be seen.
Also the MPC Comet data seem to conflict with this data at
"Weekly Info about bright
Comets"http://www.aerith.net/comet/weekly/20151017n.html
If I c an find those Comets in GUIDE they usually show way dimmer that
"Weekly info site"
A case of "Brightness to change without notice?"
Going to need a good used laptop now
Apparently Windows 7 is ok...
May look for a laptop loaded with Pro
version.
Thanks