Beautiful Shots Andrew (astro_south) and thanks for the link Kearn !!
I got up around 2.30 this morning to do some work and was stunned to find an amazingly clear sky so rushed out and set up the tripod with the 300mm.
I'll post the shots later when I get some time to get them off the camera.
I missed the transit but the comet was still visible at 3.30am where I could barely fit the width of my index finger between the comet and the horizon.
I think we need some comments of people living further north. because of the very low proximity to the horizon for southern viewers.
With increase in temps over the past week, the viewing area is very noisy and polluted.
The past three nights here in Perth have been completely cloud free, something we have not experienced since last Autumn.
Like Murphy`s law predicts the sky was perfectly clear last night except for a band of cloud maybe 5 degrees wide right across the northern horizon, right across the comet!
Setup the newt just in case a clear patch came by but that cloud band wouldn`t budge!! Could faintly see it now and then to tease me.
About 3.30pm it was getting low and a small break showed at last!
Managed a dozen decent shots before it set below the trees. Quiet amazed how bright and easily visible the comet still is to the naked eye, no problem in finding it. I don`t reckon it has faded much at all in brightness but it no longer looks totally round, being much fainter on one side and larger with a lower surface brightness..couldn`t notice any color with the binos but...
shall post a pic of it a bit later
cheers Gary
Firstly i wish to apologise in advance before you go and look at the image. It would have to rate as one of the worst focused images I have taken. Sorry.
on the positive note - it was taken rather hurriedly when I woke to take my son to the toilet, I saw that it had cleared a little to the north (earlier in the evening you couldn't see a thing with cloud and sky glow, still had the sky glow).
you can clearly see the comet to the left and slightly above the radio antenna on the left. You can also see why this was a lucky shot, just wished the bugger was focused. any way with the weather being crappy for the rest of this week in the Hunter it will be the best I can do until Saturday when I take Scott alder and myself for a little trip north of Newcastle to escape the lights (wife's permission being sought on that one). Oh and for the record, the badly focused image was taken with the Pentax k10D ISO 800 30 second exposure f2.8 40mm sigma lens, mounted on the bricks on the veranda , propped up with the lens lid and the tripod base plate connector (why was it not on the tripod I hear you ask - umm I misplaced the key to the car and couldn't locate it without lighting up the whole house, and waking the wife )
Beautiful Shots Andrew (astro_south) and thanks for the link Kearn !!
I got up around 2.30 this morning to do some work and was stunned to find an amazingly clear sky so rushed out and set up the tripod with the 300mm.
I'll post the shots later when I get some time to get them off the camera.
I missed the transit but the comet was still visible at 3.30am where I could barely fit the width of my index finger between the comet and the horizon.
4 hours drive north and you'll be at my place! Just cut up through Gloucester!
Takes me 4.5 hrs to get off the F3 at Sydney!
The airport here has low horizon from the north west right around the east to the south west, then the hangars get in the way!
I had the f/6.3 reducer on my 8" and it filled at least 1/3rd the FOV!
yes you're right and I saw it through all that crap called a horizon that I have. Even with the sky glow I could see it, and that is significant as the majority of the skyglow for me is maitland/raymond terrace and the Tomago Aluminium smelter to the far right of the image. Coupled together with low cloud/high cloud and smoke - I was a lucky boy
Who cares that it's not in focus Dave. You nabbed it, that's the main thing.
I can't wait for the clouds to clear up here so I can see it again.
But my focal reducer is due in the mail this week, so I expect the cloud to be around for a while longer.
It was gorgeous in binoculars, and visible naked eye as a fuzzy star. Its definately grown bigger over the last few days. I turned the 300mm Flourite lens from bert into it. Image here http://www.iceinspace.com.au/forum/s...ad.php?t=25537
Weather going to be horrible for rest of the week they say in Newcastle
South Alabama, USA - visual viewing has been good here - binoculars show excellent detail. Last night was very hazy, but tonight the comet has visibly changed its location. It's moving folks! Anyone calculated an orbit yet?
Good one hough! you still bagged it..
This is what I managed to get just before Holmes set behind the ridge.was the only clear break all night. Wanted to get that green halo but only had 5 min of CS so had to sick to short subs...11 x 30sec iso 800.
I hope to get another crack at it in the next week....but all my shoestring stuff has arrived so shall be cloudy for 2 weeks or more..
cheers Gary
Nice work guys! I'm in Vancouver ATM and haven't spotted it. Cloudy skies and light pollution. Heading for Banff tomorrow. Hopefully I'll find some clear skies there or along the way.
(wife's permission being sought on that one
). Oh and for the record, the badly focused image was taken with the Pentax k10D ISO 800 30 second exposure f2.8 40mm sigma lens, mounted on the bricks on the veranda , propped up with the lens lid and the tripod base plate connector (why was it not on the tripod I hear you ask - umm I misplaced the key to the car and couldn't locate it without lighting up the whole house, and waking the wife
)
love em
i got a couple of nucleur reactors in meltdown around too lol
