Log in

View Full Version here: : Late December Comet Lovejoy from Tasmania


StephenM
06-01-2012, 09:52 PM
Hi all,

I've just returned from 3 weeks visiting family in Tasmania, and for much of the time I was without an internet connection. Fortunately, however, I was able to have a quick look at IIS late on Boxing Day, and I found out about Comet Lovejoy! I was also lucky to have fairly clear pre-dawn skies for the next 3 mornings, and I was staying about 20km east of Hobart with reasonably dark sky (at least relative to Brisbane!).

I know there's been lots of other brilliant images of this comet posted over the last couple of weeks (many of which I'm yet to look at closely), but I thought I'd also post my two best ones. The first was taken pre-dawn on the 27th December, and the second was on the 29th December. The tail was noticably fainter on the 29th, but i like this image because I also captured a nice bright meteor in the same field of view as the comet. Both images are 30 sec exposures with my 50D at 1600 iso and 35mm f/2 lens at f/2. The naked eye view was stunning, similar in appearance to these images.

Thanks for looking.

Cheers,
Stephen

iceman
07-01-2012, 07:30 AM
Nice work Stephen. I can't wait to see some of your photos from around Tas.

StephenM
07-01-2012, 06:02 PM
Thanks Mike!

Yes, I have plenty of photos from my trip, so will post a few over the next week as I process them.

Cheers,
Stephen

renormalised
07-01-2012, 06:40 PM
Nice shots, Stephen:)

StephenM
08-01-2012, 09:57 AM
Thanks Carl!

I was lucky to be staying outside of Hobart with dark skies, so I only had to walk 5 steps outside my parent's front door to get this photo. If I was back in Brisbane I would have had to drive for an hour first!

Here's a reprocessed version of the first image, with a bit more detail visible.

Cheers,
Stephen

Lester
08-01-2012, 10:08 AM
Wonderful views of the comet Stephen. The memories of this one will live on with many of us. All the best.

gregbradley
08-01-2012, 11:16 AM
Thats a beauty Stephen. One of the best shots of it.

Greg.

StephenM
08-01-2012, 10:33 PM
Thanks Lester. Yes, it certainly was a spectacular event which will not be forgotten in a hurry!



Thanks Greg! I'm quite pleased with how the reprocessed image came out.

Cheers,
Stephen