NASA / GSFC

As I wrote earlier, NASA is interested in observing Comet C/2010 X1 (Elenin) with the space coronagraphs SOHO and STEREO. Not long ago I received a reply from Joseph B. Gurman to the effect that starting July 17 they will be running pointing tests on the space telescope STEREO-B. The spacecraft will be rotated as will be necessary to do in the future to observe the comet. If all the tests are successful, of which the STEREO team has no doubt, they will observe Comet Elenin from July 31 to August 12, two hours a day. The minimal distance (July 31 2011, 12:40 UT) between comet and spacecraft will be 7.4 million km (0.049 AU). Plans to observe the comet using SOHO with different fliters are also in the works.

At the moment the comet is not yet attainable photographically from our observatory. Observers near the equator can observe it longer, but unless the comet breaks up near perihelion, we will be able to observe it in all its glory starting the beginning of October. I hope the nucleus of the comet will survive and it will give us a beautiful view.