C/2005 E2 (McNaught) and C/2005 G1 (LINEAR)
The following are the results of recent observations at Geisei.
With continuing fine weather, I am making good progress, though faint comets
are difficult to photograph unless seeing is good. The great galaxy of
M31 now crosses the field during search. If I found a new comet now, could
I handle the situation well? I felt a little uneasy. The comet seeker is
not equipped with a digital setting circle. There is no way to know azimuth
or altitude, either. All I can do is determine the comet's position on
a star chart by following the direction of the finderscope and make a drawing
of the eyepiece field. It is rather a primitive method, but I am not quite
sure if I still have that skill of 30 years ago. If I can first estimate
the object's position with an accuracy to 1 degree, I can determine the
position accurate to 1 arc-minute from the drawing.
I found a digital circle in a drawer of the desk. It is hard
to believe this little device can display an object's position. It is certainly
revolutionary compared with the situation 30 years ago.
