Author Topic: The comet  (Read 16807 times)

hellymedic

  • Just do it!
Re: The comet
« Reply #25 on: 18 July, 2020, 06:24:53 pm »
Great pics!

Re: The comet
« Reply #26 on: 20 July, 2020, 10:18:00 am »
This could be my last effort at this comet, as it seems to be fading now as it gets closer to us, and further from the sun.  Its thin blue ion tail is amazingly long now.

Re: The comet
« Reply #27 on: 20 July, 2020, 11:41:56 am »
I went to the top of Blackstone Edge on the border above Rochdale for about 11pm.  There were a dozen or so enthusu1asts dotted around with varying degrees of kit.  So you may imagine that I was childishly pleased to use a basic knowledge of astronomy, as opposed to photography, to be the one to find the comet for them!  I used fairly low-powered field glasses (8 x, I think)  but by 11.30 I was able to pick it out with the naked eye.  It was a thrill, compounded by the knowledge that it's only every 7000 years or so.  That makes it three times as reticent as Hale Bopp, which was a terrific show-off in 1996-7 - you could practically see that one without going out of the house.

One of the rare compensations of age is that as a child I saw the comet Arend-Roland in 1957.  That really was spooky to an impressionable mind.  That one won't come back.

As I came down from the mountain I was able to ascertain that it's possible to see the comet from much lower down but I expect that that is if you know exactly where it is beforehand!

Am I right in thinking that a lot of the excellent images on here are dependent on modern camera technology and that the comet itself appears far less distinct to the eye or in glasses?

Jaded

  • The Codfather
  • Formerly known as Jaded
Re: The comet
« Reply #28 on: 20 July, 2020, 12:00:35 pm »
It is certainly less bright than it appears on photos, but when I saw it at the beginning of the week it was clearly visible by eye.
It is simpler than it looks.

Re: The comet
« Reply #29 on: 20 July, 2020, 12:22:15 pm »
Saw it last night from Rodborough Common (first clear night for ages). Became visible from about 10.30pm. Whilst the common has a surprisingly dark sky, position of the comet is unfortunate as it is in the last glow from sunset, so not as clear as it might otherwise have been. But still definitely visible by eye, even if not as bright as the photos show.

Arellcat

  • Velonautte
Re: The comet
« Reply #30 on: 20 July, 2020, 12:49:31 pm »
Saturday night's effort, since the clouds had miraculously cleared by midnight.


Getting NEOWISE to it

It was just visible with the naked eye, but my 7x50s picked it out well.  Still only taken from the bedroom window, and not anywhere super dark (other than being a few miles south of the city).
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Pedal Castro

  • so talented I can run with scissors - ouch!
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Re: The comet
« Reply #31 on: 21 July, 2020, 07:51:19 am »
Third attempt this morning and bingo!

Mrs PC looked out the window to see if we had clear skies when she got up for the loo at just after midnight and because we did woke me up. My eyes are still not great post op with glasses but it was easily found as a naked eye object with a tail approx. 4°

I caught it on film but not sure how good that is until I download and process the image later today.

Extra bonus was a fireball (superbright meteor)  :-\