Hi Greg,

The Current bright novae/supernovae lists Nova Sgr 2020 No. 4 as mag 5.5. Is this correct, or another case similar to what occurred with RX And? It would be cool if there's a nova visible to the naked eye. It's less than 2.5° from the Trifid nebula & M 21.

Phil S.

Has the Feb current comets list got the wrong date as it still says Jan 1st or has the Feb comets list for ST4 not yet gone up?

Owen

Hi All,

Did anyone observe the bright fireball over upstate New York just after noon on 2 Dec 2020? It was reportedly seen, heard & even felt over a large area. Even in Toronto & Virginia!

I'm in central Ohio, but I didn't see/hear anything.

Phil S.

Just a heads up, The nova RX Andromedae has reached mag 1.6 according to the updated list of Current Bright Novae & Supernovae! Look for it near M31. As the brightest star in the region, it should be easy to spot. I don't recall any recent novae attaining this brightness, so it's pretty unusual.

If you do observe it, can you report your impressions here? I'm unlikely to get a chance to see it  .

Phil S.

Greg I think the data for the comets in ST3 has updated but it is still showing Oct 4th for the date. Has the comet data updated but the date just not changed?

Owen

Hello comet imagers,

Comet 156P is brightening rapidly and unexpectedly, and is currently magnitude 11.8 (or brighter). It may be fun to keep an eye on it in the coming days. I have added it to the current comets list.

Unfortunately, some errant data has appeared in the SkyTools automated comet data delivery system that is causing problems with the magnitude and positions reported. The Minor Planet Center has been struggling to keep their comet data up to date for some time, which has required me to supplement their data from other sources. I am not yet certain what the source of the poor data was. This is something I had not anticipated, so there is no simple means for the automated system to update the orbital elements. As a result, you will need to perform some manual maintenance on your comet database to ensure that the position, magnitude and coma diameters in SkyTools are accurate. Instructions:

1. Delete 156P from every observing list it appears in. Do see which lists it is in use the Target List tab of the Object Info (for 156P).

2. Open your Comet Database via the Data menu.

3. Enter 156 in the Num on the top right and press Enter to find the data for 156P. Or scroll down to find it. 

4. If the main (top) selection for 156P is not bolded, right-click on it a delete all of the elements. If it is bolded, open the tree to see the individual element sets. Right-click on each of the ones that are dates 2020 October or later and delete them.

5. Close the Comet Database dialog, accepting your changes.

6. Select Subscriptions from the Setup menu, ensure the box next to current comets is checked, and click update now.

7. Check your current comets list in the Target Selection Tool, with the date set for October 11. The magnitude should be approximately 11.8 and the coma diameter should be 3'.

Hello comet observers,

Comet 156P is brightening rapidly and unexpectedly, and is currently magnitude 11.8 (or brighter). It may be fun to keep an eye on it in the coming days. I have added it to the current comets list.

Unfortunately, some errant data has appeared in the SkyTools automated comet data delivery system that is causing problems with the magnitude and positions reported. The Minor Planet Center has been struggling to keep their comet data up to date for some time, which has required me to supplement their data from other sources. I am not yet certain what the source of the poor data was. This is something I had not anticipated, so there is no simple means for the automated system to update the orbital elements. As a result, you will need to perform some manual maintenance on your comet database to ensure that the position, magnitude and coma diameters in SkyTools are accurate. Instructions:

1. Delete 156P from every observing list it appears in. Do see which lists it is in use the Observing List tab of the Object Info (for 156P).

2. Open your Comet Database via the Data menu.

3. Enter 156 in the Num on the top right and press Enter to find the data for 156P. Or scroll down to find it. 

4. If the main (top) selection for 156P is not bolded, right-click on it a delete all of the elements. If it is bolded, open the tree to see the individual element sets. Right-click on each of the ones that are dates 2020 October or later and delete them.

5. Close the Comet Database dialog, accepting your changes.

6. Select Subscriptions from the Setup menu, ensure the box next to current comets is checked, and click update now.

7. Check your current comets list in the Planner, with the date set for October 11. The magnitude should be approximately 11.8 and the coma diameter should be 3'.

Hi All,
I happen to have two groups for Messier objects.
I noticed tonight quite by accident that M94 appears in one list and not in the other.
I added M94 to the one that it wasn't showing - but it still doesn't show.

Both groups have the same filtering options setup.
I can't figure out what I'm missing.

Hello I am new to star gazing and looking to get sky tools 4 but Im not sure which package to get. I want to get into imaging. But I don’t know if it’s better to get the imaging software as well or just the visual. Any and all help is well appreciated.

Hello,

It has come to my attention that some cataclysmic variables have been making their way into the current Nova & Supernovae lists. I have taken steps to filter these out, but a few bright ones may remain for some time. When opened in the Object Info they will be marked as "Nova" rather than supernova.