A deeper Comet Boattini from the 12th July

Garyh · #1 17-07-2008, 08:57 AM

Hi Folks,
Here is my second attempt at Comet Boattini on the 12th July.
This time I went with 4 min subs at iso 800 and framed it to capture more Ion tail. Seeing was very poor and also my focus was a bit soft. But the sky was very transparent which really helped. Wanted to re-image this again with better focus and longer subs but the weather had other ideas and with the moonlight it shall be a while before dark skies let me have another go, which might be too late...
Also about 20 arc min away at about the 3 o`clock position from the nucleus I have noticed that I might have captured something else moving in the background..Could this be a Asteroid? or a almost geostationary Satellite? Anyone have any ideas?

Co-ordinates are roughly around RA 3:13:2 DEC 7:29 for the comet that night...
Each Image had DFs and Flats subtracted in DSS and all other layering and processing was done in PS. Pushed fairly hard to show the tail off!
Came up quiet nicely considering the poor seeing...

Thanks for looking.
CS Gary

StephenM (Stephen) · #2 17-07-2008, 09:00 AM

Great shot Gary! Well done.

Cheers,
Stephen

iceman (Mike) · #3 17-07-2008, 09:41 AM

Nice one gary, I love the Ion tail.

prokyon (Werner Probst) · #4 17-07-2008, 09:52 AM

Hi Gary,

wow, great shot!

I took a shot yesterday, there was no tail to see. But the comet was very close to the horizon. (Austria, Europe)
Pentax 75 SDHF and Canon 350d, 2 x 70s and 2x230s:

http://www.prokyon.startime.at/Bilde...ni_16Jul08.jpg

Cheers,

werner

theodog (Jeff) · #5 17-07-2008, 11:22 AM

Lovely shot Gary.
Ion tail seems nice and fine.
Well done.

Matty P (Matt) · #6 17-07-2008, 11:35 AM

Nice capture Gary, the Ion tail is nice and bright.

Very well done.

rogerg (Roger) · #7 17-07-2008, 02:16 PM

Nice shot. Stunning tail!

I agree that the object you mention looks like an asteroid. I wouldn't know if it's that or some type of satellite. It's movement looks to be almost completely in declination, as it's RA drift looks only very slightly onger than the star trails. Declination movement suggests to me it wouldn't be geostat, but polar orbiting satellite maybe but then I'd expect it to be moving faster, so probably a asteroid I suppose?

Lester · #8 17-07-2008, 03:38 PM

Top image, the tail makes it.

Well done Gary.

Starkler (Geoff) · #9 17-07-2008, 04:40 PM

Wouldnt longer subs mean softer detail?
Im assuming that a mount cant directly track a comets movement.

h0ughy (David) · #10 17-07-2008, 04:44 PM

what a fantastic result

Garyh · #11 17-07-2008, 05:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by StephenM

Great shot Gary! Well done.

Cheers,
Stephen

Thanks Stephen! much appreciated!

Quote:

Originally Posted by iceman

Nice one gary, I love the Ion tail.

Cheers Mike!

Quote:

Originally Posted by prokyon

Hi Gary,

wow, great shot!

I took a shot yesterday, there was no tail to see. But the comet was very close to the horizon. (Austria, Europe)
Pentax 75 SDHF and Canon 350d, 2 x 70s and 2x230s:

http://www.prokyon.startime.at/Bilde...ni_16Jul08.jpg

Cheers,

werner

Thanks Werner! Not a bad shot there too! must be real low up there!
I also imaged it the other night and have noticed that the Ion tail has faded somewhat.
cheers and thanks for looking...

Quote:

Originally Posted by theodog

Lovely shot Gary.
Ion tail seems nice and fine.
Well done.

Thanks Jeff, Glad I managed to catch that tail before it got away!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Matty P

Nice capture Gary, the Ion tail is nice and bright.

Very well done.

Thanks Matt, Was visible on the subs but invisible towards the edge of the frame!
cheers Gary

Quote:

Originally Posted by rogerg

Nice shot. Stunning tail!

I agree that the object you mention looks like an asteroid. I wouldn't know if it's that or some type of satellite. It's movement looks to be almost completely in declination, as it's RA drift looks only very slightly onger than the star trails. Declination movement suggests to me it wouldn't be geostat, but polar orbiting satellite maybe but then I'd expect it to be moving faster, so probably a asteroid I suppose?

Thanks Roger for that input! I reckon myself it could be one...

Have to do some research there I think..
cheers Gary

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lester

Top image, the tail makes it.

Well done Gary.

Thanks Lester! I agree there!...

Quote:

Originally Posted by Starkler

Wouldnt longer subs mean softer detail?
Im assuming that a mount cant directly track a comets movement.

If it was brighter I would track on the comet but only having a Toucam for Autoguiding I`m stuck with mag 6 stars and brighter.
The comet is moving much slower now so there isn`t much movement in the 4 min subs with the Nucleus being more egged shape than the stars..
cheers Gary

Quote:

Originally Posted by h0ughy

what a fantastic result

Thanks Mr Houghy.....

I nearly didn`t bother to process it due to poor seeing, focus but Glad I did as it came out rather nicely
cheers Gary

Garyh · #12 17-07-2008, 07:40 PM

Done some quick research through Lowell Observatory homepage http://asteroid.lowell.edu/ and come up with Asteroid (691) Lehigh which was in about the right place and coming in at mag 14.7.
This might be the mystery moving object!...

Attached a generated Gif of the area at about the time I imaged Boattini..
cheers Gary