iTelescope ALERT! extrasolar comet C/2019 Q4 (Borisov)

Putative interstellar  comet C/2019 Q4  (Borisov) unlike  ‘Oumuamua, was found well before it passed the sun, so there is an excellent opportunity to observe this fascinating comet. Also unlike ‘Oumuamua there is clear signs of cometary activity, with a coma and tail already visible. We also have the first spectrum of our visitor, and it resembles solar system comets.

C/2019 Q4  (Borisov) is currently magnitude 18 but will brighten up to magnitude 15.6, a reasonable target for amateurs with serious equipment and long exposures. The comet is at perihelion on 7 December, 2019 and has its closest approach to the Earth on 29 December at around 2AU.The comet is currently in Cancer heading towards Leo.

C/2019 Q4  (Borisov) is visible from the Northern hemisphere just before astronomical twilight in the morning.In the Southern hemisphere it is too low above the horizon at nautical twilight to image. Soon it will be too close to the sun to image from any hemisphere  This will change towards the end of October early December when the Southern hemisphere is favoured.

The MPC one line ephemeris is:

 CK19Q040 2019 12 08.1199 2.024442 3.431584 208.7126 308.3073 43.8899 20190427 11.0 4.0 C/2019 Q4 (Borisov)

Ephemeris of comet C/2019 Q4 Borisov SSO

Date Ast Twi Rise Transit Set Ast Twi End 
19 Sep 2019 04:46:27 04:53:10 09:30:24 14:08:09 19:33:36 
21 Sep 2019 04:43:27 04:46:25 09:26:16 14:06:36 19:35:12 
23 Sep 2019 04:40:26 04:39:39 09:22:06 14:05:05 19:36:49 
25 Sep 2019 04:37:22 04:32:51 09:17:57 14:03:35 19:38:29 
27 Sep 2019 04:34:18 04:26:01 09:13:47 14:02:06 19:40:12 
29 Sep 2019 04:31:13 04:19:09 09:09:37 14:00:39 19:41:57 
01 Oct 2019 04:28:08 04:12:15 09:05:27 13:59:13 19:43:44 
03 Oct 2019 04:25:01 04:05:19 09:01:16 13:57:48 19:45:35 
05 Oct 2019 04:21:55 03:58:20 08:57:05 13:56:25 19:47:28 
07 Oct 2019 04:18:48 03:51:20 08:52:54 13:55:04 19:49:24 
09 Oct 2019 04:15:42 03:44:17 08:48:42 13:53:44 19:51:22 
11 Oct 2019 04:12:36 03:37:12 08:44:30 13:52:25 19:53:24 
13 Oct 2019 04:09:30 03:30:04 08:40:17 13:51:08 19:55:29 
15 Oct 2019 04:06:26 03:22:53 08:36:04 13:49:53 19:57:36 
17 Oct 2019 04:03:23 03:15:40 08:31:50 13:48:39 19:59:47 
19 Oct 2019 04:00:21 03:08:25 08:27:36 13:47:28 20:02:02 
21 Oct 2019 03:57:21 03:01:06 08:23:21 13:46:18 20:04:19 
23 Oct 2019 03:54:24 02:53:44 08:19:06 13:45:10 20:06:40 
25 Oct 2019 03:51:28 02:46:20 08:14:50 13:44:05 20:09:03 
27 Oct 2019 03:48:36 02:38:52 08:10:34 13:43:01 20:11:30 
29 Oct 2019 03:45:46 02:31:21 08:06:17 13:42:00 20:14:00 
31 Oct 2019 03:43:00 02:23:46 08:02:00 13:41:00 20:16:32 
02 Nov 2019 03:40:18 02:16:08 07:57:42 13:40:04 20:19:06 
04 Nov 2019 03:37:39 02:08:26 07:53:23 13:39:09 20:21:43 
06 Nov 2019 03:35:05 02:00:40 07:49:04 13:38:18 20:24:22 
08 Nov 2019 03:32:36 01:52:50 07:44:44 13:37:29 20:27:02 
10 Nov 2019 03:30:12 01:44:56 07:40:23 13:36:43 20:29:44 
12 Nov 2019 03:27:53 01:36:58 07:36:01 13:36:00 20:32:26 
14 Nov 2019 03:25:41 01:28:55 07:31:39 13:35:20 20:35:09 
16 Nov 2019 03:23:34 01:20:47 07:27:17 13:34:44 20:37:53 

Ephemeris of comet C/2019 Q4 Borisov Mayhill 

 Date Ast Twi Rise Transit Set Ast Twi End 
19 Sep 2019 04:25:21 01:54:19 09:15:23 16:35:42 19:25:37 
21 Sep 2019 04:26:50 01:52:38 09:11:14 16:29:06 19:22:43 
23 Sep 2019 04:28:18 01:50:57 09:07:05 16:22:28 19:19:51 
25 Sep 2019 04:29:45 01:49:18 09:02:56 16:15:48 19:17:01 
27 Sep 2019 04:31:12 01:47:40 08:58:46 16:09:06 19:14:13 
29 Sep 2019 04:32:38 01:46:03 08:54:36 16:02:22 19:11:27 
01 Oct 2019 04:34:04 01:44:28 08:50:25 15:55:37 19:08:44 
03 Oct 2019 04:35:29 01:42:54 08:46:15 15:48:49 19:06:03 
05 Oct 2019 04:36:54 01:41:21 08:42:03 15:42:00 19:03:26 
07 Oct 2019 04:38:19 01:39:49 08:37:52 15:35:08 19:00:51 
09 Oct 2019 04:39:43 01:38:19 08:33:40 15:28:14 18:58:20 
11 Oct 2019 04:41:07 01:36:50 08:29:27 15:21:18 18:55:53 
13 Oct 2019 04:42:32 01:35:22 08:25:14 15:14:19 18:53:29 
15 Oct 2019 04:43:56 01:33:56 08:21:01 15:07:18 18:51:09 
17 Oct 2019 04:45:21 01:32:31 08:16:47 15:00:15 18:48:54 
19 Oct 2019 04:46:47 01:31:08 08:12:33 14:53:09 18:46:43 
21 Oct 2019 04:48:13 01:29:47 08:08:18 14:46:00 18:44:37 
23 Oct 2019 04:49:39 01:28:28 08:04:03 14:38:49 18:42:35 
25 Oct 2019 04:51:07 01:27:10 07:59:47 14:31:35 18:40:39 
27 Oct 2019 04:52:35 01:25:54 07:55:30 14:24:18 18:38:47 
29 Oct 2019 04:54:03 01:24:40 07:51:13 14:16:58 18:37:01 
31 Oct 2019 04:55:33 01:23:27 07:46:56 14:09:34 18:35:21 
02 Nov 2019 04:57:02 01:22:17 07:42:37 14:02:08 18:33:46 
04 Nov 2019 04:58:33 01:21:09 07:38:18 13:54:37 18:32:17 
06 Nov 2019 05:00:04 01:20:03 07:33:59 13:47:04 18:30:54 
08 Nov 2019 05:01:36 01:19:00 07:29:38 13:39:26 18:29:36 
10 Nov 2019 05:03:08 01:17:58 07:25:18 13:31:45 18:28:26 
12 Nov 2019 05:04:40 01:17:00 07:20:56 13:24:00 18:27:21 
14 Nov 2019 05:06:13 01:16:04 07:16:34 13:16:11 18:26:23 
16 Nov 2019 05:07:46 01:15:11 07:12:10 13:08:17 18:25:31