ASTRO: Swan 12-20-06

Seems everyone is ignoring this guy now that it has faded. It is still
well placed for viewing. There was a very bright star just out of the
picture to the south, south is at the top. It left a rather nasty
reflection.

Anyway, it appears that SWAN has mostly a dust tail now that it has
moved out from the sun. When much closer it had mainly a gas tail. At
its closest to the sun it was 0.78 AU but is now 1.69 AU from the sun.

14" LX200R@F/10, 10x1 minute binned 2x2, STL-11000M, Paramount ME,
Unguided with tracking rates on both axes adjusted to follow the comet's
motion.

Rick
--
Correct domain name is arvig and it is net not com. Prefix is correct.
Third character is a zero rather than a capital "Oh".

Great picture Rick. I almost forgot that this comet is still around.

Stefan

"Rick Johnson" schrieb im Newsbeitrag
...
Seems everyone is ignoring this guy now that it has faded. It is still
well placed for viewing. There was a very bright star just out of the
picture to the south, south is at the top. It left a rather nasty
reflection.

Anyway, it appears that SWAN has mostly a dust tail now that it has
moved out from the sun. When much closer it had mainly a gas tail. At
its closest to the sun it was 0.78 AU but is now 1.69 AU from the sun.

14" LX200R@F/10, 10x1 minute binned 2x2, STL-11000M, Paramount ME,
Unguided with tracking rates on both axes adjusted to follow the comet's
motion.

Rick
--
Correct domain name is arvig and it is net not com. Prefix is correct.
Third character is a zero rather than a capital "Oh".

"Rick Johnson" wrote
...
Seems everyone is ignoring this guy now that it has faded........

Rick,

I remember it's up there........ somewhere over the clouds........


..........
Anyway, it appears that SWAN has mostly a dust tail now........

Your picture shows a fan-shape to the tail so you are probably right about
the dust.

George N

George Normandin wrote:
"Rick Johnson" wrote
...

Seems everyone is ignoring this guy now that it has faded........


Rick,

I remember it's up there........ somewhere over the clouds........



..........
Anyway, it appears that SWAN has mostly a dust tail now........


Your picture shows a fan-shape to the tail so you are probably right about
the dust.

George N


It was the fan shape I was looking at all right. Also slightly curved.
Gas tails just don't do that.
Rick