Comet 73P-Schwassmann-Wachmann 3, component B (2006), April 30th, 2006, 4:10 - 4:30 UT, seeing 6-7 (good-very good), transparency 5.4.

TMB Optical 175mm f/8 refractor on its homemade Dobsonian-style mount. Magnification 88x, 117x, 233x, field of view approximately 0.6 degrees. East is at the bottom of this sketch, west to the top, north to the left and south to the right.

Component B showed a coma and feathery, fan-shaped tail. At low power with direct vision the pseudo-nucleus was visible, but with averted vision and higher magnification the pseudo-nucleus appeared to be divided into two pseudo-nuclei of similar size and brightness. Component B appeared smaller and less bright than component C.

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Comet 73P-Schwassmann-Wachmann 3, component C (2006), April 30th, 2006

Original drawing made using white pencil on black paper: Same drawing on a white background:

Comet 73P-Schwassmann-Wachmann 3, component C (2006), April 30th, 2006, 3:20 - 3:40 UT, seeing (good-very good), transparency 5.4.

TMB Optical 175mm f/8 refractor on its homemade Dobsonian-style mount. Magnification 88x, 117x, 233x, field of view approximately 0.6 degrees. East is at the bottom of this sketch, west to the top, north to the left and south to the right.

The movement of component C against the backdrop of the stars was noticeable within a few minutes. The comet had a prominent pseudo-nucleus, coma, and several tails. The gas tail extended straight back from the coma, while feathery dust tails extended from the top and bottom of the coma. Component C appeared brighter and larger than component B.