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Old 26-12-2011, 12:53 PM
Ian Cooper
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Ian Cooper is offline
 
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Palmerston North, New Zealand
Posts: 126
Hi Colin,

that is the image I have been waiting for this morning since I missed out. The only other shot I've seen has probably clipped the end of the tail. You didn't by chance take anything more zoomed in?

You haven't exactly missed much in that one shot!

Kearn,

regarding the two tails, perhaps the analogy that often comes to mind with substantial comet tails like this one is the 'twisting ribbon effect.' There can often be two jetting points emerging from the comets nucleus. Each sends out a stream as the nucleus rotates. The twists spiral out and away from the nucleus over the coming days.

The initial split that everyone has seen is now well up the tail, and looking at Colins latest pic it has almost reached the end. To make that point clearer I've attached a shot of Hyakutake by my mate Noel Munford on March 22nd, 1996. Taken on a 50mm lens at f/2 Fuji P800 film 25 seconds. You can clearly see the split in the tail above the bright star (Arcturus). In my shot of Hyakutake from March 23rd, 1996, taken with Nikon and an f/1.4 50mm lens, 25 seconds on Konica 3200 film, the two threads have now twisted ribbon like. The K3200 is a lot more grainy than the P800, but you can see how one thread loops up and over towards Arcturus from the coma before diving back across the seemingly straight thread, then underneath to re-emerge.

The drawing attached is one that I did for a talk on this great comet and better shows the ribbon effect. The drawing also shows the actual length better compared to the photo.

I hope that helps.

Coops

BTW the end of the tail is now circumpolar from my place (40 south), and even though it will be running almost horizontal along the horizon I might give it a go after astronomical twilight ends (around 10.30 p.m. N.Z.D.T.)
Attached Thumbnails
Click for full-size image (1996.03.23 I.Cooper Konica 3200.jpg)
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Click for full-size image (1996.03.23a.jpg)
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Click for full-size image (1996.03.22 N.Munford Fuji P800 b.jpg)
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