Comet Elenin gone for good (though some still claim detections, even sightings)

With this negative report, setting tough upper limits on the brightness of whatever may be left of much-expected/hyped/feared comet C/2009 X1 (Elenin) on Oct. 9 and 10 the hunt seemed to be over - yet there are claims that the STEREO satellites can still see it (they probably did in the 2nd half of September; see also this and this tweet) and even of a visual sighting right when the big scopes saw exactly nothing. How could that be? A major mystery right now that puzzles even leading comet gurus ... anyway, this alleged detection of Elenin by Elenin himself (also reported e.g. here [earlier] and here) was probably just noise. Now the Moon is spoiling the view in the morning where the comet - or rather its theoretical positing - is quickly climbing higher; by about Oct. 23 deep observations will again be possible and should settle the issue for good.

In other comet news the plasma tail of comet H-M-P continued to amaze: big picture collection and shots of Oct. 11, Oct. 6 (wider), Oct. 5, Oct. 4, Oct. 3 (b/w), Oct. 2 and Oct. 1. • Comet Garradd on Oct. 10, Oct. 3 and Sep. 29 and the comets C/2011 P1 (McNaught) and C/2011 S2 (Kowalski). • The fate of the Great Kreutz Comet of 2011 - and some funny sungrazer/CME statistics (not proving much yet). • The outburst of Scheila modelled - and modelled again. • The Draconids outburst was covered by a huge live-blog with numerous links; a nice persistent train and meteor. • A meteorite hit a house near Paris in the summer (more, more, mehr), and the complex origin of 2008 TC3 and its meteorites.

In other small bodies news a NEO discovery by amateurs 'working for' ESA's Awareness, a call for observations for an upcoming NEO passage, observations of a past one - and more astrometry of Apophis (strangely missing from the JPL analysis of impact risk). • The moons of Minerva (more and more) and an extremely tilted KBO contact binary (more). • The star occultation's outcome was that the diameter of Eris is just like Pluto's (also covered here and here - after some some embargo problems that suddenly evaporated) - and the temperatures on Makemake.

In other news Jupiter on Aug. 18 til Oct. 4, Oct. 3, Oct. 2/3 (map) and Oct. 2 (more). • Solar eclipses causing wakes in the atmosphere. • The AAVSO is 100 (from there a 100a of SS Cyg video from this source) and private lightcurves of the SN in M 101. • A quadruple rainbow makes headlines here, here, here, here and here. • A story about Damian Peach, the solar system photographer. • Observing NanoSail D in hi-res. • A summary brochure of the Decadal Survey. • The world's largest clock dial in Mekka. • And the smallest full moon was obviously smaller than others (more and more) - don't let them tell you that the effect isn't clear to the naked eye!