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[katodog]

Well, I finally found the comet again, after numerous nights of not being able to see a hint of it. It's pretty dim now, so I think the times to see it and image it are finally over. I managed to get some shots with the Orion achro and 20mm Owl eyepiece, but they really don't look like much, since the comet is so dim. I also have some shots my cousin emailed me that he took with the eBay reflector I gave him.


This is one that I shot, followed by one of my cousin's pics. I like his way better than mine...








Here's a few with the camera piggied on the SCT...










Not much, but you can see just how much the comet has faded, and how big it's gotten.

One more pic, of M45. This was 30 seconds at ISO1600, so it took a bit of processing to get the brightness of the shot down. I adjusted the color a bit as well, hoping to make it not so obnoxious to look at. It actually looks like there might be the slightest bit of nebulosity around the stars...

[Chicago Astronomer - Astro Joe]

Kdog,

I applaud you in capturing the ever fainting comet.

We tried last week, but had no sighting whats-so-ever.

Shown: Linda, Arnvid, Bill and Myself.

We used Bill's 10" water tank dob, but it was the day after full Moon, and the glare washed out whatever ghostly sight of the comet. We searched for quite awhile, but nothing.

I like the shots you are getting.

Beautiful work man.

[katodog]

Don't feel bad about not finding it. It took over a week to finally see it again, and I think that it was just luck that I saw it at all. The thing I can't figure out is why I can't see it in the 12". I've got the Orion on top, and both are aligned perfectly with each other, and when the comet is in the Orion, I should at least see some fuzziness where the core is through the 12", but can't. Which makes me think that it's not going to be a target worth shooting for anymore. I think the only chance of seeing it is with low power, so you get a wide field with maybe between 15x to 30x. I was using a 40mm Plossl in the Orion, so it was at 15x. Going to any higher mags made the comet fade as the power went up. I do wonder though, why I can't see it with the 20x80 binos. I'm thinking maybe visually something like the SN6, which has a 6" aperture, and low power would be the best way to see it.

Of course, a really clear and dark sky helps out a lot, too.


But that's okay. I've got plenty of other things to look at over the winter. My goal on the 30th was to get shots of M42 with higher ISO settings, since your Noiseware program works so good. But, my skill for bad astro luck came through with flying colors, and when M42 was getting close to being cleared of the one tree that's in the way, it got cloudy. So, I had to pack it in for the night. Hopefully, there will be enough clear nights to catch it, and it won't be too cold.


At least on the 30th, I was bundled up pretty good, and the cold wasn't bothering me. I was set to be out for a long time, but the clouds changed that. As long as I can keep my fingers warm, the cold isn't too bad. So, make it clear up at night so I can go out.