There are two essential elements to make a good “hunter” of comet : sound judgment and good supporting documentation. With a little experience, the observer knows a very large number of astronomical objects of which he knows, even if they do not show a characteristic shape, that they are such galaxy or such nebula.
Comets – small celestial bodies made up of a core of ice, gas and dust – are among the most exceptional objects in the sky that any amateur of astronomy wants to observe, and why not discover.
Discoveries of comets that marked history
Among the most famous comets, we can cite: the legendary Halley’s Comet (1P/Halley), known for centuries, the comet Churyumov-Gerasimenko (67P), also called Tchouri and discovered in 1969 or comet Hale-Bopp (C/1995 O1), discovered more recently, in 1995. To hope to discover some, an instrument – binoculars, refractor or telescope – turns out to be essential.
This file offers an explanation of the methods of discovery of comets, advice on optical instruments for good observation. It also gives examples of chance finds and discusses scanning the sky.