Reposted here by Kurt - Clear Skies - Kurt ====================================================================== BAA electronic bulletin This is an announcements only list - please do not reply to the list address. ====================================================================== Comet C/2009 P1 Garradd has been putting on a good show in the evening sky over the last few months. It is currently in Hercules at around magnitude 7 and should be visible in binoculars in a dark sky. The comet currently shows nice dust and gas tails and we have received a number of images which are stored in the Comet Section web gallery. This can be accessed by going to http://www.britastro.org and selecting "Galleries->Comets" from the main menu bar. As noted in the December Journal (p331) the comet remains in Hercules until the middle of February next year but the best viewing time will move from the evening to the morning as we move into 2012. It is expected to be at its brightest in early February, perhaps even reaching 6th magnitude if the current performance is maintained. An evening sky finder chart for the next couple of months can be found here: http://www.britastro.org/misc/2009p1_finder.jpg The Moon is currently moving into the evening sky so the best views will be later in December once dark skies return. We are planning to include a short review of observations of this comet in the February Journal. Please submit any observations to the Comet Section using the address cometobs@britastro.org so that we can consider them for inclusion. Nick James & Denis Buczynski.