ASTRO: Comet Holmes, 2:30 UT on 10 Jan 08

My first attempts at posting this failed. I assume that the file was too
big, so here's a more compressed version. A slightly better version, but
with a much larger file size, can be found he
http://www.kopernik.org/images/archive/Holmes010908.jpg

Comet Holmes taken at 2:30 UT on January 10th, 2008 from Kopernik
Observatory south of Vestal NY. A total of 8 minutes of exposure with a
Canon Rebel DSLR thru a Brandon 80mm triplet refractor. This is a little
less than the full field and the file is reduced 50% and compressed slightly
to cut the file size. Seeing was poor and it was very windy - windy enough
that there were thousands without power in New York.

The comet is certainly getting bigger and a lot dimmer. It was still a great
sight as seen in my 7x50 binoculars after I got home.

George N

George Normandin wrote:

My first attempts at posting this failed. I assume that the file was too
big, so here's a more compressed version. A slightly better version, but
with a much larger file size, can be found he
http://www.kopernik.org/images/archive/Holmes010908.jpg

Comet Holmes taken at 2:30 UT on January 10th, 2008 from Kopernik
Observatory south of Vestal NY. A total of 8 minutes of exposure with a
Canon Rebel DSLR thru a Brandon 80mm triplet refractor. This is a little
less than the full field and the file is reduced 50% and compressed slightly
to cut the file size. Seeing was poor and it was very windy - windy enough
that there were thousands without power in New York.

The comet is certainly getting bigger and a lot dimmer. It was still a great
sight as seen in my 7x50 binoculars after I got home.

George N

This attempt came through fine. The core has certainly faded greatly.

Think that is the open cluster NGC 1193 that is the faint fuzzy toward
the top. That's an open cluster that's been on my to-to list for a
couple years now. Nice and compact. Earlier it went by another on my
list NGC 1245. That I did try and image but the ice was so bad I've not
tried to process it. Looked to be impossible to color balance with a
very low signal to noise ratio. Guess I should give it a try.

The comet looks rather stationary. I missed the UT reference at first
so checked the cluster for the wrong day. I decided it was 1193 but
then saw I was a day off and changed the calendar. The comet hardly
moved. It didn't even move one fov of my 25' fov! 8P/Tuttle is booking
but this guy is a real snail right now. Think we must be moving almost
directly away from each other.

While the comet is again somewhat green it is an odd green for a comet.
More what I'd call upchuck green. I wish I had something like that
Brandon for wide field work. Not in the budget for a while unfortunately.

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".

Nice shot George!

George Normandin wrote:

Comet Holmes taken at 2:30 UT on January 10th, 2008

John N. Gretchen III
N5JNG NCS304
http://www.tisd.net/~jng3

George Normandin wrote:
My first attempts at posting this failed. I assume that the file was too
big, so here's a more compressed version. A slightly better version, but
with a much larger file size, can be found he
http://www.kopernik.org/images/archive/Holmes010908.jpg

Comet Holmes taken at 2:30 UT on January 10th, 2008 from Kopernik
Observatory south of Vestal NY. A total of 8 minutes of exposure with a
Canon Rebel DSLR thru a Brandon 80mm triplet refractor. This is a little
less than the full field and the file is reduced 50% and compressed slightly
to cut the file size. Seeing was poor and it was very windy - windy enough
that there were thousands without power in New York.

The comet is certainly getting bigger and a lot dimmer. It was still a great
sight as seen in my 7x50 binoculars after I got home.

George N



Greta image George.
regards
Phil Bishop

"Rick Johnson" wrote

This attempt came through fine. The core has certainly faded greatly.

Think that is the open cluster NGC 1193 that is the faint fuzzy toward the
top......

Rick,

It could be NGC 1193. In the original full-rez version there are several of
the brighter background galaxies visable. Not bad for a 3-inch scope and a
camera never intended for astrophotography!

While the comet is again somewhat green it is an odd green for a comet.
More what I'd call upchuck green. I wish I had something like that
Brandon for wide field work. Not in the budget for a while unfortunately.
....

I actually cut the green back a little to balance the background to black. I
think this is just a green comet! The color came out better than my first
try with the DSLR & 80mm. This time there was no moon and I made sure that
there was no red background light in the observatory.

That old Brandon is one of the original ones that VERNONscope sold in the
late 80's before the glass ran out. The next batch, with a different
formula, was not as good. Rumor has it that the triplet lens comes from
Roland C (like the 94mm Brandon), but I've never gotten Don Yeier to confirm
or deny that. When asked he just smiles! This scope has been to two solar
eclipses (plus being used for the annular eclipse at home) and now it serves
as the finder of the RC20. We have a second one - both donated by Don Yeier
back in the 80's. I tried to get him to give us a 2-inch focuser for it a
few years ago. He looked in his junk pile of old Brandon parts, but alas, he
no longer has that type focuser. Unfortunately I can't find a 1.25" field
flattener so the stars look a little funny in the corners. I'll probably try
a mild Barlow next.

George N

Very nice image George. I wondered how the comet would look like now and you
answered my question. It is beginning to show a dust tail and the nucleus
has almost disappeared.

Stefan

"George Normandin" schrieb im Newsbeitrag
...
My first attempts at posting this failed. I assume that the file was too
big, so here's a more compressed version. A slightly better version, but
with a much larger file size, can be found he
http://www.kopernik.org/images/archive/Holmes010908.jpg

Comet Holmes taken at 2:30 UT on January 10th, 2008 from Kopernik
Observatory south of Vestal NY. A total of 8 minutes of exposure with a
Canon Rebel DSLR thru a Brandon 80mm triplet refractor. This is a little
less than the full field and the file is reduced 50% and compressed
slightly
to cut the file size. Seeing was poor and it was very windy - windy enough
that there were thousands without power in New York.

The comet is certainly getting bigger and a lot dimmer. It was still a
great
sight as seen in my 7x50 binoculars after I got home.

George N

"Stefan Lilge" wrote
...
Very nice image George. I wondered how the comet would look like now......

Stefan,

I did not even try to check for it naked-eye, but a friend reported that
he could see it from his house. It was pretty dim visually in the 80mm. When
I got home it was still clear and I was able to pick up Holmes in 7x50
binoculars from my house, but is was not obvious at first. Perhaps my night
vision was still impacted from driving the car.

George N

George, the comet faded from my naked-eye view quite a while ago. It is so
large and diffuse by now that it doesn't have enough contrast against the
city sky...
It was difficult to find even with 8x50 binoculars when I last imaged it in
November.

Stefan

"George Normandin" schrieb im Newsbeitrag
...

"Stefan Lilge" wrote
...
Very nice image George. I wondered how the comet would look like
now......

Stefan,

I did not even try to check for it naked-eye, but a friend reported that
he could see it from his house. It was pretty dim visually in the 80mm.
When I got home it was still clear and I was able to pick up Holmes in
7x50 binoculars from my house, but is was not obvious at first. Perhaps my
night vision was still impacted from driving the car.

George N