Comet C/2013 V5 (Oukaimeden) / Rosette nebula closest point

[cometcatcher (Kevin)]

Originally Posted by malau

Hi Cometcatcher, are there any chance I can take a pic of Siding Spring without a telescope ?

As long as you have tracking a tele lens will pick it up as a small faint object. Without telescope and without tracking you might get a dot. It's faint at mag 10ish.

[Octane (Humayun)]

That is awesome, Kevin!

I love images like this. Damian Peach is another who manages to produce stunning comet/deep space object images that look like works of art. Then again, with a 20" CDK, it does help.

I hope to try for it with the SMC/Tuc47 tonight/tomorrow if the weather cooperates. With a monochrome camera, I'm not going to have much time to get data. I'll just grab 1 minute exposures and hope for the best!

H

[cometcatcher (Kevin)]

All the best for the encounter H. Hope the clouds stay clear for you.

Yes Damian Peach is the master of such images. He wrote a tutorial on how to do it, aimed mainly at CCD's, but some principles apply to all cameras. Even with all that knowledge, getting a double stack right in some starfields is hard work! It's usually why for "normal" shots I let the stars trail and just track on the comet. But for these portrait encounters they need some work.

[Octane (Humayun)]

It's looking good so far. Still collecting data on my Rho Ophiuchus mosaic and Corona Australis. Corona Australis will set below my altitude threshold just as the comet is riding high towards transiting. Am programming CCD Commander as I type this. I just saw the rate of motion in Starry Night Pro Plus, and, I don't know how I'm going to pull it off. Even in the space of 30 minutes, it is moving quite a bit. That thing must be hurling through space!

H

[cometcatcher (Kevin)]

You have to use short subs H. Something like 30 seconds, not 30 minutes!

[Octane (Humayun)]

Oh, I know that. I was just factoring in moving to the object, focusing with luminance, imaging for a few minutes, then, focusing the colour filters. It's all automated, but, it still ends up taking time.

I do like the idea of short sub-exposures, though. Might even just bin 2x2 the whole lot. And, just focusing on the luminance filter once, and not worrying about refocusing for colour. I think that might be the best way to go.

I think it will be nicer tomorrow, though, being closer to Tuc47. The FSQ, while wide, is not quite wide enough at the moment.

H

[Rod771 (Rod)]

Awesome image Kevin, well done!

[astronobob (Bob)]

Grouse Capture Kevin, one for the collection and records for sure

[cometcatcher (Kevin)]

Thanks Rod and Bob. I'll be printing it out for the album, along with A1 in the SMC. Some cool comet encounters lately.