Comet Encke, Jan 29, 2017. 14×60 sec @ ISO 200, TV-85 at F/5.6, Canon T3, Atlas EQ-G w/EQMOD.
Here’s Comet Encke on Jan 29, 2017. I imaged it two years ago when it last came around. On this night it was very low in a very bad LP zone right above bright parking lot lights and street lights. I’m surprised anything even registered. As you can see, it was small and dim and almost, but not quite, swallowed up by the LP. 🙁
Comet Johnson (C/2015 V2) on Jan 29, 2017, 10:27 UT. 40×60 sec @ ISO 800, TV-85 at F/5.6, Canon T3, Atlas EQ-G w/EQMOD.Comet Johnson (C/2015 V2) on Jan 29, 2017, 10:27 UT. 40×60 sec @ ISO 800, TV-85 at F/5.6, Canon T3, Atlas EQ-G w/EQMOD.
Another Comet Johnson image. It seems to be a bit brighter than last time, but not much bigger. Eventually, it should get more photogenic as it gets closer to Earth and the Sun..
Comet Johnson (C/2015 V2) on Jan 24, 2017. 22×60 sec @ ISO 400, TV-85 at F/5.6, Canon T3, Atlas EQ-G w/EQMOD. StarFreeze version.Comet Johnson (C/2015 V2) on Jan 24, 2017. 22×60 sec @ ISO 400, TV-85 at F/5.6, Canon T3, Atlas EQ-G w/EQMOD.Comet Johnson (C/2015 V2). Close-up crop.
I’ve finally bagged a new comet after almost 2 years since I shot my last one, which was Comet Lovejoy. This one is small and dim at the moment, but it has a neat tail.
Comet Johnson is predicted to get better with the best views coming this summer. So far, it looks like it will be an easy target for the next few months. I’ll probably get more images of this one as it develops.
Comet Lovejoy & the Little Dumbbell Nebula on Feb 20, 2015, 01:08 UT. 45×60 sec @ ISO 6400, TV-85 at F/5.6, IDAS-LPS, Canon T3. StarFreeze version.
Comet Lovejoy & the Little Dumbbell Nebula on Feb 20, 2015, 01:08 UT. 45×60 sec @ ISO 6400, TV-85 at F/5.6, IDAS-LPS, Canon T3. StarStreaks version.Comet Lovejoy & the Little Dumbbell Nebula on Feb 20, 2015, 01:08 UT. 45×60 sec @ ISO 6400, TV-85 at F/5.6, IDAS-LPS, Canon T3. Comet Only version.Comet Lovejoy & the Little Dumbbell Nebula on Feb 20, 2015, 01:08 UT. 45×60 sec @ ISO 6400, TV-85 at F/5.6, IDAS-LPS, Canon T3. Negative view.
A closer pairing of Comet Lovejoy and the Little Dumbbell Nebula on the night of Feb 20, 2015, plus another tail disruption event was in progress.
Comet Lovejoy & Little Dumbbell Nebula on Feb 19, 2015, 01:00 UT. 56×60 sec @ ISO 6400, TV-85 at F/5.6, IDAS-LPS, Canon T3. StarFreeze VersionComet Lovejoy & Little Dumbbell Nebula. 56×60 sec @ ISO 6400, TV-85 at F/5.6, IDAS-LPS, Canon T3. StarStreaks version.Comet Lovejoy & Little Dumbbell Nebula. 56×60 sec @ ISO 6400, TV-85 at F/5.6, IDAS-LPS, Canon T3. Negative view.
The last significant encounter with another Messier object for Comet Lovejoy Q2 before it dims down more and moonlight eventually spoils the view. The best part of the apparition is about over. From now on, the comet will get fainter as it recedes from Earth and heads back out into deep space.
Its has been a fun time imaging this bright comet over the last two months. I had good public exposure with 2 news organizations publishing two of my images, one of them being NBCNews.com. Hopefully, another bright comet will soon appear and put on another show for us. I’m keeping my fingers crossed. 🙂
C/2014 Q2 (Lovejoy) on Feb 15, 2015, 01:32 UT. 47×60 sec @ ISO 3200, TV-85 at F/5.6, IDAS-LPS, Canon T3 (stock.)Negative View – C/2014 Q2 (Lovejoy) on Feb 14, 2015, 01:08 UT. 42×90 sec @ ISO 3200, TV-85 at F/5.6, IDAS-LPS, Canon T3 DSLR.
The nearly disconnected tail of Lovejoy blowing in the solar wind. Something in the local space environment disrupted it within the last 2 days, it seems. Probably some kind of solar event like a CME or rogue magnetic field change caused this.
C/2014 Q2 (Lovejoy) on Feb 13, 2015, 01:00 UT. 58×90 sec @ ISO 3200, TV-85 at F/5.6, IDAS-LPS, Canon T3.StarFreeze View: C/2014 Q2 (Lovejoy) on Feb 13, 2015, 01:00 UT. 58×90 sec @ ISO 3200, TV-85 at F/5.6, IDAS-LPS, Canon T3.
Negative View: C/2014 Q2 (Lovejoy) on Feb 13, 2015, 01:00 UT. 58×90 sec @ ISO 3200, TV-85 at F/5.6, IDAS-LPS, Canon T3.Blue Version: C/2014 Q2 (Lovejoy) on Feb 13, 2015, 01:00 UT. 58×90 sec @ ISO 3200, TV-85 at F/5.6, IDAS-LPS, Canon T3.
A big knot moving down the tail of Comet Lovejoy with the old tail partially disconnected and hanging on as best as it can.
Comet Lovejoy Q2 on Feb 11, 2015, 01:00 UT. 78×60 sec @ ISO 6400, TV-85 at F/5.6, IDAS-LPS, Canon T3 DSLR. (StarStreaks version.)Comet Lovejoy Q2 on Feb 11, 2015, 01:00 UT. 38×60 sec @ ISO 6400, TV-85 at F/5.6, IDAS-LPS, Canon T3 DSLR. (Comet Only Processing.)
Moving further west each night, Comet Lovejoy Q2 continues to change and present a different profile each day. It has gone back to a fan tail with streamers, much like it looked back on Jan 25 and Jan 16, 2015. There is a pattern there, but the period remains elusive.
Images of Comets, Nebulae, Galaxies and Star Clusters
