Comet C/2007 W1 (Boattini)

Date: 13 July 2008 U.T.
Time: 9:40 - 9:50 U.T.
Telescope: 13cm refractor
Magnification: 66x
NELM: dark twilight, growing brighter
Temperature: +41 F (+6 C)

The above sketch shows an approximately 0.54 degree wide portion of the telescopic field centered on Comet Boattini. North is up. West is to the left in this mirror-reversed view.

Comet Boattini is currently visible with binoculars in the early morning sky, low in the east, prior to the onset of bright twilight. The time of this observation in local time was 3:40am - 3:50am. Earlier the comet would be seen in a darker sky, but it would also have been closer to (or even below) the horizon. Later, morning twilight would have had a more drastic, negative effect on the comet's visibility. This comet will be climbing higher in the morning sky with each passing day, but moonlight will soon add a negative element to this comet's visibility.

Comet Boattini is heading out away from the sun now, so it can be expected to grow smaller and fainter in the upcoming weeks. Currently the comet appears like a round 'fuzzball' with an outer boundary the blends into the background sky. The comet is brighter closer to its center. I noticed no tail and no central condensation (or pseudonucleus). This comet was not visible to my unaided eyes - at least not under the twilight sky in which this observation was made.

This comet looks like a typical, relatively bright, telescopic comet. That is, it's easily visible with a telescope or even binoculars; but it has no (visible) tail and presents nothing out of the ordinary to see - at least not at this time.