August comets

[obrazell]

Greg can I just check that the current comets has been updated in ST4? The date on the list says July 1st but the other current lists and the ST3 ones seem to say Aug 1st so I assume this is just a list title issue?

Owen

[PMSchu]

wen,

According to my list of Current Updates, the Current Comets list hasn't been updated as of Aug 2.

Phil S.

[bigmasterdrago]

It appears that the current MPC comet download is missing Nishimura (C/2021 O1) and PANSTARRS (C/2021 O3). Nor the still unnumbered or named P11ibiE which is being viewed at ~10th mag but very low elongation. I'm sure it's an MPC issue.

The MPC has 887 "observable" comets whereas the JPL list of comets (3743) includes historical and therefore un-observable fuzzy rocks. Interesting for historical studies.

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This brings up a question. If I add the two missing comets, will they remain in the database if I download MPC observable comets? Even if those two are still not in the new download?

[obrazell]

If you look at the ephemerides they are missing a date. I talked to the AstroGrav guys about this and this is why it won't load there. It will load from the JPL site.

Both of them will load into ST4 if you use the import form MPC option. As noted they are both around 18th mag at the moment so only of interest to imagers.

Owen

[bigmasterdrago]

I had just downloaded the "download MPC Observable Comets" b4 I commented concerning this and neither were there via a search in ST4. So I downloaded as "enter new comet". When I download comets from https://ssd.jpl.nasa.gov/dat/ELEMENTS.COMET for use in AG, those two are in the elements download. So I'm a bit confused about where a date is missing. Sorry I don't understand but that seems to be par more often as I age - not like a fine wine LOL

[obrazell]

Odd again because I downloaded it yesterday and found both comets in ST4 by both looking in the ephemerides and searching via add object.

[bigmasterdrago]

They are there now with the fresh download.

[PMSchu]

Hi BMD,


Posted by bigmasterdrago - 2021-08-03, 10:00 PM
They are there now with the fresh download.


What site are you referring to here? As of 2021 Aug 5, ST4v (4.0 j R2) still hasn't updated the Current Comets OL from the Skyhound website. Do I need to go to the MPC's comet data download?

TIA,

Phil S.

[obrazell]

You have to download the MPC comets to get these. As they are around 18th mag they are not likely to make the Current Comets anytime soon.

[theskyhound]

Hello,

I'm not sure I followed all of the above... too much downloading of things that I'm not sure what was being downloaded. Is there still a problem?

I updated the current comets list on August 1, and it did include 2021 O1. The most recent list does appear in my personal SkyTools.