(meteorobs) Alert! High activity from 73P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 3

[MexicoDoug at aol.com]

Hola Laurie,

Good luck!  A nice binocular might do well since you;ll be under time 
pressure trading off elevation for twilight.  The B and C fragments are about 7.5 
magnitude now, which means as hard to see as 8.5 magnitude stars, but your eye 
will tell you something is funny there.  Now that they have passed Earth, the B 
fragment is a little lower.  If you have a big scope, at 4:30 AM at the 
latest, get a 2 degree FOV and put it over the galaxies' trio in CETUS the whale 
monster, NGC 273, NGC 274, and NGC 275.  In a rectified image the 73P-C will be 
less than a degree above them at 4:30AM (I assume you are at GMT - 7 hours now 
with daylight saving time.  Anyway that will be the position in SoCal 1 hour 
and twenty minutes before Sunrise and it won't be more than 14 degrees in 
altitude, on June first.  

Alternately, if you make a triangle out of beta, eta and iota Ceti, opposite 
the brightest (beta) star pretty much on the opposite side plus a couple of 
degrees the bright comets will be.  A scope ought to do it perfectly timed 
unless you happen to be looking through the smog of L.A.  Fragment B is 2 degrees 
east away, at the same altitude as the galaxy trio.  The comet is moving 
quickly and this is your last chance...  Suerte waking up,
Saludos, Doug
PS at 4:00AM they will be both less than 7.5 degrees above the horizon.  
Sounds like camping in the Anza Borrego desert ...
@ 4:30AM:
B: 2000 RA:   0h55m44s   DE:-05°52'
C: 2000 RA:   0h48m46s   DE:-06°41'
(Azimuth about 12 degrees South of East)

En un mensaje con fecha 05/31/2006 4:06:28 PM Mexico Daylight Time, 
LLBgoSuns at aol.com escribe:

<< Hi,
 I am a life long night sky watcher, but a total rookie!  Can  
 73P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 3 still be seen?  I live in So. California.   Can 
you tell me where 
 to look, and when?  I have a good  telescope. 
 I thank you!
 Laurie >>