Great Comet of 2007

[Peter Ward]

More rain....so more time to re-vamp old data...

http://www.atscope.com.au/BRO/gallery2.html

Wasn't McNaught so cool?

[skwinty]

Hi Peter
McNaught was really cool.Had some great views of the comet and the moon occulting venus at the same time here in Cape Town.
Really was a special time, pity we dont see more of them.
What camera and settings did you use for that shot?
Regards
Steve

[Peter Ward]

Steve...I used a Canon 350D. Both exposures were about 30 seconds, ISO 800.....the lake shot was with a 10-22mm zoom, the other I don't recall.

[citivolus]

You tease. I was stuck in Beijing for the entire time that McNaught was visible. Oh, those were painful days.

[tornado33]

What I thought was really cool was standing in the hot midday sun, dialling up the comet on my argo navis, nudging the 10 inch scope till the numbers go down to zero, looking through the 16mm nagler and seeing this bright spot with a hase, noticably elongated around it. On the day of perihelion, it was cloudy, but through a hole in the clouds that lasted just a few seconds, I saw it and it was so bright it was dazzling to look at. At its closest angular distance to the sun as seen from Earth, the Sun focused in the tube of my scope 1/2 way between the tube wall and the secondary, needless to say I was VERY careful about what I was doing.
Scott

[Phil]

Great shots Peter. It was a great time that we will all remember well.
Phil

[jjjnettie]

We had clouds for most of the Comet McNaught apparition. But fortunately they parted at just the right time for us to see it shine in all it's glory.
That great "Rooster's Tail" is unforgettable.

[Outbackmanyep]

Meeeemmooorrriiiiiieeeeesssss...... ...Breathtaking wasn't it? Pity i didn't have a DSLR at the time.....im pleased with my film shots though! Glad the clouds buggered off in time!