COMET NEOWISE SEARCH

Location:  Front Porch, Little Lepreau, NB, Canada

Date Time:  December 31, 2016  0645-0715 hrs

Weather:  No wind to windy, mostly clear, very cold -8C windchill -14C.

Equipment:  Canon Rebel Xsi with 18-55 mm lens, 20x80 Binoculars and a tripod.

Attendance:  Myself.

Objective:  To view and image Comet C/2016 U1 Neowise which was reported to be low in the eastern sky at dawn in Ophichus at a magnitude of 8.5 according to Heavens-above.com.

Report:

• Could not see the Comet in images or through binos.  Have sent image to local observer who has located it to confirm that this is the right area of sky.
• Jupiter was high in the southern sky at this time next to Spica.  Through binos could see three of its moons on the upper right side of the gas giant.
• Ursa Major was nearly straight up, to the North.
• Leo was half way up in the western sky.
• No shooting stars or satellites were seen.

Note:  On the morning of December 30 at approx. 0640 hrs, while looking to see if sky was going to clear, clearly seen ISS go from SSW across the southern sky to the SE.  Very bright, could even see it through the passing clouds.  A major wind storm with winds exceeding 70 kph was underway but a clear patch opened up across much of the southern sky momentarily.

Images: