3rd Pons-Brook 14th May

[astronobob]

Tues evening on Mount Tamborine saw a lot of muck in the atmosphere, both low level mist/fog/dust and higher level cirrus, all causing loss of sharpness, clarity and bloating the stars.

This nights 100% Pixel-Crop, 28 x 15 secs, iso3200, 200mm prime easily shows the conditions effect compared to my previous (2nd-capture)

This coming week-end's forecast seemingly showing less Cirrus cloud and lower ground humidity,, but a near Full Moon in the East..
Maybe an option will be a few nights after Full-Moon around 25th 26th though Far Away is Pons-Brook !

[Leo.G]

It still looks amazing Bob!
I spent a couple of hours out last night with 2 pairs of binoculars on a tripod (varying strength) and my phone with Stellarium but I was stuffed if I could find it. Blurry eyes with a migraine probably didn't help.
Had I set my mount up I could have used coordinates but my yard is currently like a swamp with only yesterday and today with no signs of rain in recent weeks.
I may have another look tonight cloud permitting, I figure if I can locate it with binoculars I can point a camera in the right direction with my 80-2200 f2.8 Nikon lens on the camera (pre-focused on the moon). Live view on the Nikon D810 in the dark is just noise so it will be luck of the draw if I do find it and manage to capture it.
But I'd like to get one semi decent photo (stack maybe), I won't be around next time....

[astronobob]

It can be tricky Leo, I just checked Lithgow on Maps, surrounded by Mountains
I do see a hell-of-a-Spot to hunt Comets,, Hassen Walls Lookout is perfect, all you need is some good clear skies,,,binoculars wont see much of the tail though the comets coma will appear as a fuzzy blurry little star .
Camera with a 30-50mm lens should expose it, then zero in with a longer lens..
:camera:

[leon]

Sure dose look good Bob, hell of a long tail it has, and well done.

Leon

[Leo.G]

Thanks Bob!
Yes, I considered driving up to the lookout, it's less than a 10 minute drive but I had some personal issues and decided against it on the day. I am planning on doing exactly that when the moon dims a little.
The binoculars were only to try and locate the comet, then another tripod with a camera ready. I have the D810 and an 80-200 f2.8 ED lens which should hopefully be fine to centre it (if only live view worked in the dark). I may still get to it and I know I'll be annoyed with myself if I don't. My biggest issue is focus, though I can get that sorted on the moon prior and mark the lens (maybe, I don't like doing that). My eyes aren't great to check images on the small review screen, I usually run in from outside with memory card in hand and check focus on my 27" computer monitor.
My yard is surrounded by big trees in neighbouring yards and a mountain directly west of me (and just about every other direction), everything disappears behind the mountain fast but seems to take ages to get over the eastern cluster of mountains.
Last night we were clouded out, the night before a big halo around the moon didn't stop me from spending an hour or so trying to find it. The cloud impeded my attempts but I tried.
The game isn't over till the hairy old mongrel sings (I think that's how that goes and I'm a hairy old mongrel?). I never sing, I don't hate my son or my neighbours that much.

[Derek Klepp]

Thanks for all the pics so far Bob you are certainly persistent with all this wet weather at the moment.

[Leo.G]

Bob a quick question, your mention of "blurry star" through binoculars (20x50) would I be better off trying with my 80mm Megrez SD (first model) and a 40mm or whatever eyepiece to locate the comet?
I can take it up the lookout, it and my Nikon D810 with my extension adapter are just under the weight limit of my tripod head and I have used them together before just playing with moon shots to get the precise focal distance.

Plus I can carry it up to the lookout. The good lookout where no one goes which has vehicle access blocked off and it's a fair walk but definitely won't be car headlights up there. Carrying the EQ5 Pro, battery pack and other gear (Megrez and 152mm Skywatcher refractor, gas stove, water, just the necessities for star viewing (and coffee and jaffle iron, bread and a can of spaghetti?) near killed me last time but I'd not long before had a heart attack, only weeks prior.
That was only for a lunar eclipse, I don't have to wait another 71 years for one of them.

[astronobob]

Thanx Leon, yes it is still producing quite a streamer considering it is travelling away and with the solar wind instead of heading toward the sun and into the solar wind. I suspect it to fade considerably in the next week or two,, :thumbsup:

Cheers Derek, been an enjoyable little Astro-fix actually,, :)


To be honest Leo, I haven't done visual for donkeys years, sounds quite a close comparison between the bino's and Megrez with a 40mm ep though,, Most comets look like a fuzzy star caused be the coma, which is much brighter than the tail, That said, bright comet tails can easily be seen in rich field telescopes ,, :thumbsup: