View Full Version here: : A dim Lulin.
Astounded to see some stars at 0330hrs this am (cloudy for sooo long), so rugged up against the dengue fever ridden mozzies :scared2: ... and ventured out with camera.
Still a lot of high cloud, and Moon bright in Libra, so visual ID not gunna happen, but it did show in some dodgy pics, dim, but green tinged.
Moon will be further away tomorrow am, though clouds may be back :sadeyes:
Nice work, and yes the clouds are back. :eyepop:
Quark
16-02-2009, 05:29 PM
Well done Liz,
Definitely score a tick for tenacity.
Should look good when the Moon is out of the way.
Trevor
renormalised
16-02-2009, 07:52 PM
You actually got to shoot through the clouds?? Lucky to get a break through them!!!!:eyepop:
Kevnool
16-02-2009, 08:42 PM
Yep can make it out in there ....Lets see if we can blow them clouds out the way for the next image.....cheers Kev.
renormalised
16-02-2009, 09:43 PM
It's the tropics here, Kev. You have to put up with 4 or so months of stuff all anything astronomical!!!. Night time is when we get most of our rain. Even when you do get "clear" skies, it's like looking through a fine mist, or worse. You've just got to hope you get those rare minutes of average seeing, and then make the most of it...mostly with a camera on a tripod.
jjjnettie
16-02-2009, 09:48 PM
Well nabbed Liz.
You guys up north must be starved for star light.
renormalised
16-02-2009, 09:53 PM
What's that??!!!:eyepop:
Thankyou all :)
Yes indeed, miss those those stars this time of year :shrug:
Keeping positive, and hope to catch a better look/pic of the comet, but had a storm go through this arv which dumped 100 mls in my guage, in 2 hrs!!
Still ... my alarm is set :whistle:
Well, managed to get a couple of clear patches of sky again for a few pics, though Moon still pretty close. Saw the comet easily in same FOV 11x70 binoc.:rofl:
Still moderate amount of light cloud which grad covered sky before I finished. :shrug:
Great to finally see the comet, yeah.
StephenM
17-02-2009, 09:35 AM
Nice one Liz!
Cheers,
Stephen
Good on ya Liz - glad you got to check it out with your own eyes!
:thumbsup:
Thank you Steve and Rob, yes, certainly great to see it :)
Early hours of today it had brightened again, great in binoc (reckon could see a long faint tail??), though couldnt see it naked eye, but sky not totally dark. Moon still lurking around.:rolleyes:
Quark
18-02-2009, 11:01 AM
Hey Liz,
Whats the meaning of this outrage, an image of stars and a comet with no cloud in it.:lol:
Regards
Trevor
:lol:
I know Trevor!! No big cloud masses here at moment, just light stuff drifting by. Make the most of it, try again tomorrow am and see how much brighter the comet is again.
Still fairly clear up here, so still making the most of it.
Clear skies for next week ;)
I didnt label, but its in left upper quadrant.
Kevnool
21-02-2009, 11:48 AM
Great shot again Liz and yep Trev no clouds again Trev.
Whats happnin in the tropics is it by chance someone wants you to totally observe this comet Liz........Cheers Kev.
jjjnettie
21-02-2009, 12:14 PM
It's fantastic that you've been able to get a look in on the comet Liz.
Typical comet weather. When I think back to McNaught, the clouds!!!
Thanks kev and jjj, I know I am lucky to have spotted the comet :) I didnt see McNaught because of cloud, despite lotsa trying couldnt believe it :( I think all of Australia saw it except for me (and other Townsvillians).
Alas, we have incoming cloud for the next week, :sadeyes:, but fingers crossed for another glimpse ..... esp Tues!! :D
Analog6
22-02-2009, 07:04 AM
No, I didn't see it either from here on the far north coast of NSW.
What exposure did you use, Liz. I am planning an excursion tonight with 20D and #)D. One will have a 500mm f8 mirror lens on (if I can find the adapter) and the other a 300mm. I thought f8/.f11, ISO 1600 (or would 800 do). ANy advice appreciated here. And what time does it start to be visible?
Hi Odille ... The constellation of Leo is/has risen by 9pm (even earlier) in the east, and Saturn is quite visibile. The comet is on its way toward Saturn and will be aside/top of it on Tues 24th. It is visible from about 10pm onwards, but getting earlier each night.
Thus the comet is visible nearly all night now,vas moving very quickly. Difficult to see naked eye, unless know where to look/look for, but scanning the area with binoculars will show you where it is.
At the moment its about halfway between Saturn and Spica, in Virgo.
Mmm, it is difficult with a big lens, unless you can hit the area, spot on, but you may be lucky :) Obviously short exp times, and play with ISO, maybe 800, but others can add, as I dont normally use a big lens (find it frustrating) :whistle:
Good luck!!
Rain has set in here!!
Chart below shows Leo (like a sickle/hook) and Saturn, with path of the comet.
you can download a great map of the sky from
skymaps.com (for southern hemishere)
Analog6
23-02-2009, 05:20 PM
Thanks for that, I'll let you know how I get on. I might go to bed and read for a while and set off about 11pm then. But I'll check from home first (we can see stars, just not the real faint ones, and north is the Gold Coast airport and the southern GC lights) to make sure I know where Saturn is.
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