What are amateur astronomers finding when they set the scope on elenin

what does it look like is going on there? from a first hand account...

At the moment, it's too close to the Sun to observe.

Its appearance was entirely consistent with a comet, though. It basically appears as a dim, fuzzy spot. Considering I had to use an 8" scope to see what with other comets I've been able to see more clearly with the naked eye (e.g. Hale-Bopp), I would have to say it ranks as rather underwhelming.

They are finding a faint smudge no brighter than magnitude 10, when it was expected to be magnitude 6 (40 times brighter) about now. The link shows what will probably be one of the last observations until October when it moves away from the Sun again. It shows signs of breaking up. What will be visible in October is anybody's guess but I'm betting that it's not very much.

Elenin is not currently visible from my location, or I'd give you a direct report. It IS visible in Australia, but fading fast, This web site has the latest images:
http://members.westnet.com.au/mmatti/sc.…

If Elenin doesn't disintegrate, it should become visible on SOHO's LASCO C3 camera on September 23 through September 29. A few days later it should become visible in binoculars in the eastern sky an hour or two before sunrise.

If you're on the south hemisphere, this: http://members.westnet.com.au/mmatti/sc.…

You'll have to wait a few more days until Elenin gets in a position that makes it observable in the northern hemisphere. That should happen sometime in late September/early October 2011. If the comets survives that far.

A faint smudge of light in a highly eccentric orbit around the Sun (possibly hyperbolic)

There's a strange creature behind the wheel staring at us through a gunsight. Oh, and it has a bumper sticker saying "I brake for no-one".