no comet in binos (Toronto)

Tried to spot comet 103P/Hartley2 from the back yard with my crummy binoculars.

It's a little early in the evening for this... Early, because Perseus is still low in the sky. Behind trees and rooftops and hydro wires. And because everyone else in the house has their lights on!

I was looking in the right area. Hopped, with the 7x50s, from α (alpha) Persei (aka Mirphak) amidst the loose cluster, up to γ (gamma), and on to η (eta). Back down to γ. I knew the comet was almost in-line from γ through HIP 14392 and k Per.

Can see all the field stars. Switched to averted vision... Nothing. Pretty sure I didn't see anything.

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Tried to split Albireo with the binos. No joy.

Couldn't remember the name of the bright star beside Altair (oh, right, Tarazed). I knew it wasn't Sadr—that's the middle star in Cygnus.

Split ο (omicron) in Cygnus with the binoculars. Bit of colour...

Split ε (epsilon) in Lyra.

Leaned between the fence and wall to steady the view of Jupiter. Could see a moon to the left (Callisto) and two to the right (Ganymede way out, Io and Europa at 1 arc-minute apart were merged to me).

All hand-held. Huh. The $50 binos are working OK tonight.