Home    My Setup    Sky objects    Monthly    Kid's Page    Miscellaneous    Sales    Links    Say 'Hi'

COMET 2004 H6 (SWAN) - PHOTOS AND OBSERVATIONS. Possum Observatory

Comet 2004 H6 (SWAN) is a newly discovered comet of about magnitude 7.5 in the morning sky (as at 29 May 2004). It is heading west (i.e. higher in elevation) by about 0.5* per day. It reached perihelion on the 12th of May but is apparantly heading our way so may hold its magnitude for a while... The following was extracted from GUIDE 8.0 software (for the 29th May 2004 - UT)...

Perihelion distance 0.7761900 AU. Orbital elements:
Eccentricity 1.0000000
Inclination of orbit 107.6570000 degrees
Argument of perihelion 269.1000000 degrees
Long. ascending node 317.2190000 degrees
Date of perihelion JD 2453138.21600 (12 May 2004 17:11:02.4)
Dist from home planet: 1.34882095 AU (201,780,740 km)
Elongation from Sun 38.65 degrees (morning sky)
Speed of apparent motion: 1.121'/hour at position angle 263.9

The following are some images I took of it with a Canon EOS 10D digital SLR. Observations are lower down, and a slightly jumbled daily ephemerides even lower down.

CLICK ON IMAGE FOR A LARGER VIEW... DETAILS:  

Date (UT):

Scope:

Camera:

Exposures and ISO:

NOTES:

Friday 6.53 August 2004

41cm f4.5 Meade SF Newtonian

Canon EOS 10D digital SLR

Five of 4 minute @ 1600 ASA

Tail is about 12' in PA of 154*

Date (UT):

Scope:

Camera:

Exposures and ISO:

NOTES:

Wednesday 14.60 July 2004

41cm f4.5 Meade SF Newtonian

Canon EOS 10D digital SLR

One of 1 minute @ 1600 ASA

 

Date (UT):

Scope:

Camera:

Exposures and ISO:

NOTES:

Monday 21.73 June 2004

41cm f4.5 Meade SF Newtonian

Canon EOS 10D digital SLR

Twenty x 1 minute @ 3200 ASA

Thin gas spike tail just visible
   
   
     
     

My observations of this comet...

DATE UT
MAG
DIA
D/C
TAIL
SCOPE
COMMENTS
29.73 May 2004
7.4
3'.0
7/9
10x50B
2004 H6 is fairly small and reasonably bright. Quite a compact, tight head. Tail just evident in images through the 41cm with the Canon EOS 10D.
21. 73 June 2004
7.7
4'.0
6/9
15x70B
2004 H6 displays a fairly small and reasonably bright head. Slightly difficult observation due to a mag 8.5 star being 5' away. No tail visible in binoculars, but thin gas jet tail just evident in images through the 41cm with the Canon EOS 10D. 45* alt in the ENE.
             
             
             
             
             
             
             


COMET 2004 H6 (SWAN) - daily positions (from GUIDE 8). Please note that these ephemerides may change over of time...

SWAN (C/2004 H6)
Date......................... RA........................... declination...r .......delta mag Elong
---- -- ----------- - ----- --- -----
30 May 2004 5:40:16 03h20m02.77s -13 10' 40.3" 0.843 1.349 7.9 38.6
31 May 2004 5:40:16 03h18m14.12s -13 13' 21.0" 0.851 1.339 7.9 39.5
1 Jun 2004 5:40:16 03h16m24.36s -13 15' 43.8" 0.859 1.328 8.0 40.3
2 Jun 2004 5:40:16 03h14m33.39s -13 17' 49.4" 0.867 1.317 8.0 41.2
3 Jun 2004 5:40:16 03h12m41.13s -13 19' 38.5" 0.876 1.306 8.0 42.1
4 Jun 2004 5:40:16 03h10m47.48s -13 21' 11.9" 0.885 1.294 8.0 43.0
5 Jun 2004 5:40:16 03h08m52.32s -13 22' 30.3" 0.894 1.282 8.1 43.9
6 Jun 2004 5:40:16 03h06m55.53s -13 23' 34.6" 0.904 1.270 8.1 44.9
7 Jun 2004 5:40:16 03h04m56.98s -13 24' 25.4" 0.913 1.257 8.1 45.9
8 Jun 2004 5:40:16 03h02m56.52s -13 25' 03.7" 0.923 1.244 8.1 46.9
9 Jun 2004 5:40:16 03h00m53.98s -13 25' 30.0" 0.933 1.231 8.2 47.9
10 Jun 2004 5:40:16 02h58m49.21s -13 25' 45.3" 0.944 1.217 8.2 49.0
11 Jun 2004 5:40:16 02h56m42.00s -13 25' 50.3" 0.955 1.203 8.2 50.1
12 Jun 2004 5:40:16 02h54m32.15s -13 25' 45.6" 0.965 1.189 8.2 51.2
13 Jun 2004 5:40:16 02h52m19.45s -13 25' 32.1" 0.976 1.174 8.2 52.4
14 Jun 2004 5:40:16 02h50m03.67s -13 25' 10.2" 0.988 1.160 8.3 53.5
15 Jun 2004 5:40:16 02h47m44.56s -13 24' 40.7" 0.999 1.145 8.3 54.7
16 Jun 2004 5:40:16 02h45m21.86s -13 24' 04.2" 1.011 1.129 8.3 55.9
17 Jun 2004 5:40:16 02h42m55.28s -13 23' 21.2" 1.022 1.114 8.3 57.1
18 Jun 2004 5:40:16 02h40m24.53s -13 22' 32.1" 1.034 1.098 8.4 58.4
19 Jun 2004 5:40:16 02h37m49.30s -13 21' 37.4" 1.046 1.083 8.4 59.7
20 Jun 2004 5:40:16 02h35m09.25s -13 20' 37.6" 1.058 1.067 8.4 61.0
21 Jun 2004 5:40:16 02h32m24.03s -13 19' 32.9" 1.071 1.051 8.4 62.4
22 Jun 2004 5:40:16 02h29m33.26s -13 18' 23.6" 1.083 1.035 8.4 63.7
23 Jun 2004 5:40:16 02h26m36.55s -13 17' 09.9" 1.096 1.018 8.4 65.2
24 Jun 2004 5:40:16 02h23m33.48s -13 15' 51.8" 1.108 1.002 8.5 66.6
25 Jun 2004 5:40:16 02h20m23.61s -13 14' 29.5" 1.121 0.986 8.5 68.1
26 Jun 2004 5:40:16 02h17m06.48s -13 13' 02.7" 1.134 0.969 8.5 69.6
27 Jun 2004 5:40:16 02h13m41.61s -13 11' 31.3" 1.147 0.953 8.5 71.1
28 Jun 2004 5:40:16 02h10m08.48s -13 09' 55.1" 1.160 0.936 8.5 72.7
29 Jun 2004 5:40:16 02h06m26.56s -13 08' 13.5" 1.173 0.920 8.5 74.4
30 Jun 2004 5:40:16 02h02m35.29s -13 06' 26.0" 1.186 0.903 8.5 76.0
1 Jul 2004 5:40:16 01h58m34.09s -13 04' 32.0" 1.199 0.887 8.5 77.7
2 Jul 2004 5:40:16 01h54m22.34s -13 02' 30.5" 1.212 0.870 8.5 79.5
3 Jul 2004 5:40:16 01h49m59.43s -13 00' 20.6" 1.225 0.854 8.5 81.3
4 Jul 2004 5:40:16 01h45m24.70s -12 58' 01.0" 1.239 0.838 8.5 83.2
5 Jul 2004 5:40:16 01h40m37.49s -12 55' 30.3" 1.252 0.822 8.6 85.1
6 Jul 2004 5:40:16 01h35m37.11s -12 52' 46.9" 1.265 0.807 8.6 87.1
7 Jul 2004 5:40:16 01h30m22.89s -12 49' 48.9" 1.279 0.791 8.6 89.1
8 Jul 2004 5:40:16 01h24m54.14s -12 46' 34.0" 1.292 0.776 8.6 91.2
9 Jul 2004 5:40:16 01h19m10.21s -12 42' 59.9" 1.306 0.762 8.6 93.4
10 Jul 2004 5:40:16 01h13m10.45s -12 39' 03.7" 1.320 0.747 8.6 95.6
11 Jul 2004 5:40:16 01h06m54.28s -12 34' 42.5" 1.333 0.733 8.6 97.9
12 Jul 2004 5:40:16 01h00m21.17s -12 29' 52.8" 1.347 0.720 8.6 100.3
13 Jul 2004 5:40:16 00h53m30.68s -12 24' 31.0" 1.360 0.707 8.6 102.8
14 Jul 2004 5:40:16 00h46m22.48s -12 18' 33.2" 1.374 0.695 8.6 105.3
15 Jul 2004 5:40:16 00h38m56.38s -12 11' 55.5" 1.388 0.683 8.6 107.9
16 Jul 2004 5:40:16 00h31m12.33s -12 04' 33.7" 1.402 0.672 8.6 110.5
17 Jul 2004 5:40:16 00h23m10.50s -11 56' 23.7" 1.415 0.662 8.6 113.3
18 Jul 2004 5:40:16 00h14m51.27s -11 47' 21.6" 1.429 0.653 8.6 116.1
19 Jul 2004 5:40:16 00h06m15.26s -11 37' 23.7" 1.443 0.644 8.6 119.0
20 Jul 2004 5:40:16 23h57m23.36s -11 26' 27.0" 1.457 0.636 8.7 121.9
21 Jul 2004 5:40:16 23h48m16.72s -11 14' 28.8" 1.470 0.630 8.7 124.9
22 Jul 2004 5:40:16 23h38m56.81s -11 01' 27.6" 1.484 0.624 8.7 128.0
23 Jul 2004 5:40:16 23h29m25.36s -10 47' 22.9" 1.498 0.620 8.7 131.1
24 Jul 2004 5:40:16 23h19m44.36s -10 32' 15.1" 1.512 0.616 8.7 134.2
25 Jul 2004 5:40:16 23h09m56.03s -10 16' 06.2" 1.526 0.614 8.8 137.4
26 Jul 2004 5:40:16 23h00m02.80s -09 58' 59.6" 1.539 0.613 8.8 140.6
27 Jul 2004 5:40:16 22h50m07.21s -09 40' 59.6" 1.553 0.613 8.9 143.7
28 Jul 2004 5:40:16 22h40m11.88s -09 22' 12.3" 1.567 0.615 8.9 146.9
29 Jul 2004 5:40:16 22h30m19.44s -09 02' 44.4" 1.581 0.618 8.9 150.0