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Title: Deep Impact observations Post by: Skyjim on July 04, 2005, 01:47:39 AM Congratulations to the Deep Impact Team for this morning's success!
I was at an observing site about 60 miles northwest of Los Angeles with a few dozen other dedicated amateurs and we WERE able to confirm brightening of the central coma of Tempel immediately after the scheduled impact time of 22:52 PDT. What had been a very gradual brighteneing toward the center of the (very faint) coma changed into an almost stellar appearance beginning about 15 minutes after impact. The appearance persisted for the hour I observed post-impact. I'll be interested in how long the plume material brightens the coma. The comet was an EXTREMELY inconspicuoous object a few degrees NE of Spica. Rough magnitude estimate around 10.5 Not a binocular or naked-eye object! Jim |