Comet Garradd can hang it's coat here

[firstlight]

Just spent a few days at Leyburn testing out how to run my gear off batteries, and to have a peek at C/2009 P1 (Garradd) while it was near the Coathanger.

Now there is a lot to errors with the tracking and the processing but I am definitely glad to have had a go at it next to this great cluster, probably my No 1 open cluster.

12 x 300 sec, ISO 1600, Modded Canon 450D, WO 110, darks and flats and I had to wrestle with DSS and PS CS5 to get what I got. Inversed the image in B&W, then added it above.

Going to bed now.

Cheers
Tony

[firstlight]

Oh, and that is NGC6802 in the lower right.

[Liz]

Wow, that is excellent Tony!!
Garradd has a beautiful green jacket he can certainly hang there. :D

[jjjnettie]

Cool As Tony. :)

[firstlight]

Thanks Liz and Jeanette, didn't get as much done as I had hoped this weekend, but this was the major objective.

[h0ughy]

great fathers day gift there Tony - the gift of photons! nice

[SkyViking]

Wow that's an absolutely stunning image. That comet just keeps sweeping past beautiful deep sky treasures. Thanks for the view.

[firstlight]

Not not wrong David... I am a very lucky man.



Thanks a lot Rolf, those comments coming from you mean a lot.

[Octane]

That is just awesome. What a brilliant photograph, wonderfully composed.

Friday was my birthday and I wanted to image this as a keepsake. You did my work for me.

I love it!

H

[firstlight]

No problem Humayun, I would have posted a larger image tonight, but I left my portable drive at work. It's also easier to see the flaws in he capture and processing in the larger image, but I'm glad you like it.

Cheers
Tony

[firstlight]

Oh and "Happy Birthday" as well.

[anthony.tony]

I love it-tony

[firstlight]

Thanks Tony. I had a quick go at Elenin on the weekend as well, but no luck. You've done well with capturing it.

[firstlight]

Here is a larger rendition of the Coathanger and C/2009 P1, and with it it is easier to see the flaws with the capture... a bit of rotation, together with noise and of course the trailing of the comet.

I have never tried to image this cluster before, is there nebulosity associated with it normally? Or have I tried to take too long subs?

[Liz]

... love it... love it... love it ... :)

[firstlight]

Thanks Liz, the 300 sec subs really bring in the detail, also helps with a dark site and the Moon has set :). I only took 120 sec subs the next night as the Moon was pretty bright, and after the cloud rolled in I wasn't able to have another go after Moon set.

As Dave said... Really good Fathers Day present.

[hotspur]

Well done Tony,this is great to look at,lovely colour.worth getting a print done,forget the errors-I like it.

I tried a few single frames around the same nights as you,but I did not get the 'coat hanger' like you have-Have you used a 'field flattener' to get a greater field of stars?

[firstlight]

Yes Chris, it is a 0.8 field flattener/reducer that I got with the scope. Makes it f4.9 from memory, something like 550mm fl.

Here is the pixinsight repro of the comet.

Cheers
Tony

[hotspur]

Thanks Tony-you have done very well with this,send it to a astronomy magazine!:thumbsup:

[firstlight]

Thanks Chris, I've already sent this one to The Sky at Night Magazine, although that was before the repro. I might send the other one to AS&T.