djb (08/19/82)
For Eric Strobel, because he asked, and for any others having
difficulty finding Comet Austin, here are a few hints.
The first trick is to be sure you're looking in the right place,
either based on right-ascension/declination positional information, or
from knowledge of the stars in the vicinity (a good star map is invaluable).
Since you've been following the discussion on net.space, you've got both
position and neighborhood information, so that's not likely to be the problem.
What is probably causing you grief is not knowing what to look
for and how to look for it. This can be a hairy business, even for experienced
observers. Comet Austin isn't going to be as bright as you imagine. When a
comet is billed as being 4th magnitude, it isn't necessarily as observable as
a 4th magnitude star. For comets (and other diffuse objects) one speaks of the
"integrated magnitude", which is figured by summing the light output over the
entire object. This is handy for comparison, but is misleading to observers,
especially if the object is relatively large (like a galaxy). As a result,
Comet Austin won't stand out in your binoculars. It won't even be as noticable
as the 5th magnitude stars nearby. Instead, you'll have to be slow and
deliberate in scanning the area, using averted vision if necessary, looking for
that tell-tale fuzziness that is characteristic of comets.
Such a approach is almost sure to produce results, provided your
weather holds. Expect to see a faint, fuzzy spot, more or less where
predicted. No visible tail, just a small elliptical "cloud". Most of all, be
patient. (Anyone that hangs in there for 2 weeks with no success has all the
makings of a Real Astronomer.)
Good Luck,
David Bryant
cbosg!djb
ps: Austin wasn't expected to be as spectacular as Kohoutek, perhaps in
part to it's relatively recent discovery (July 19th), and little
advance magnitude/orbit information. If you really want disappointment,
wait until Hailey comes around. Folks are expecting a nightly display
of incredible proportions. Ah well...