Re: Planet X: MAY Coordinates [OT]

In Article <3B04C52D.BF11B07C@navix.net> David Knisely wrote:
> Well, under good seeing conditions and under a
> fairly dark sky, Pluto can be seen in a scope smaller
> than 8 inches.  I have seen it (barely) using only a 3.7
> inch aperture, although it is easier with larger scopes.
> The key is to use enough power (10x to 15x per inch of
> aperture) to get the scale up a little and dilute the faint
> background skyglow.  Its current visual magnitude is
> about 13.8

For Planet X, filter FOR red to screen out .. whatever (as in background
skyglow for David's Pluto sighting).  Expect a "visual magnitude" of 11,
due to its distance from Earth.  Good conditions (David's "good seeing
conditions under a fairly dark sky") helps, of course (the Russian
attempt in February and a recent attempt in Australia was blocked by
cloud cover or poor sky conditions).  Go to an observatory that will
magnify like crazy, so you can catch sight of this dim bulb (the "enough
power" and "scale up" in David's description.

June coordinates will likewise be posted, so make your reservations!
ALL those observatories can't have piping in front of the scopes when
they are pointed toward Orion/Taurus or be closed for the season,
suddenly, as in Vancouver!  Who's going to be the first to provide a
REAL image of this smoldering inbound brown dwarf, which will NOT move
along a path according to the ephemeris, nor will it be stationary in
the sky as it is on the move, inbound!  You might even get to name it!
Bob's Blob or David's Dim-n-Diffuse or Zack's Planet Z or whatever.