Lulin - Feb 09

[Big Dave]

I was just cleaning up my astrophotos folder on my computer and found an image I took of Lulin back in Feb. Originally I was going to junk it, but I just couldn't stop looking at it.

I tried aligning and running averaging routines to remove the apparent star motion, but these did not work to my likings and I just moved on to the next object processing. There was not much of a 'defined' coma to this comet when I took the picture.

I was auto-guiding using the comet as the target and taking 30 subs in LRGB. My setup was needing about 2 minutes between each shot (filter change, download and dwell time for the guider) and the final image stacked was quite cool, seeing the comets motion with the cosmos!

See attached.

30 Second Subs
5 Sets of LRGB
William Optics FLT132 OTA
SBIG STL11km Camera
Guiding from a side by side setup with a ED80 and PHD software

[jjjnettie]

Lulin was a very pretty comet. Good strong colour too.
Thanks for posting your image and bringing the memories flooding back.
Remember when it passed Saturn on the 25th of Feb?
Then on my birthday in March, it was in the same FOV as M35. It made a very nice pairing.

[Big Dave]

It was cloudy that night here, I remember. This was taken on the 26/2/09.
- Dave :).

[lacad01]

Glad you didn't junk it, it's a ripper :thumbsup:

[Robbie]

I have one or 2 lulin shots myself that I put in the junk folder I might pull them out and see how I go with them thanks for the inspiration