10/P Tempel

[Christopher K.]

Baton Rougeans should keep a sharp eye out for Comet 10/P Tempel. Spain's J.J. Gonzalez gives a latest magnitude estimate of 8.8. Across-the-board predictions are for 10/P Tempel to max at 8.0 with a possibility for an outburst, which might send it up to 6.5.

This will be another early morning viewing. Tempel should swing very close by Eta Ceti the morning of about 4 August, and Eta Ceti won't clear 30 degrees from the horizon until about 2:30am.

10/P Tempel takes 5.4 years to orbit the Sun.

Of course, any successful or attempted viewings should be posted as a continuation of this thread. If you're in the city you'll probably need at least a eight-inch telescope if it doesn't brighten past mag 8.

More information at:
Astronomy, August 2010, p. 42
http://www.cfa.harvard.edu/icq/CometMags.html
http://cometchasing.skyhound.com/

[Christopher K.]

Never mind the outburst--the anticipated brightening to 8.0 never happened.

On 18 August A. Amorim in Florianopolis, Brazil estimated an 8.4 mag and 5' diameter by using 20x80 binocs. That was the brighest estimate all during August sent to Harvard's Minor Planet Center.

Right now, 10P/Tempel is mag 9 in Cetus. Oh, well. Sometimes an anticipated outburst disappoints, but alerts will still be posted in this section!