scotty1

This was from 19.30 on 6-2-23 

Pentax K70 + Astrotracer

Single shot of 10 seconds ISO 6400 f4.5 zoom lens at 97mm. Edited on pixel phone.

Capella at top 

24 minutes ago, pipnina said:

This might explain why my dad and I were struggling to see it, stellarium on mobile has it as mag 5.8, I was struggling to see the comet but mag 8, 9 stars were easy in my 10x50s tonight.

This is from mobile Android, a bit confusing really...

2 hours ago, mcrowle said:

Will be interesting to see if anyone captures this pairing! I've only just read about it, and wasn't planning to set up due to the full moon to be honest.

However, luckily C/2022 U2 is likely rather brighter, at mag. 11 according to the BAA page at BAA Comet section (cam.ac.uk). I successfully imaged and viewed it in late Jan, despite strong light pollution from the local football club floodlights! 😊

Regards, Mike.

Hi Mike

Yes I've been looking at Cometwatch http://aerith.net/comet/weekly/current.html and it says  magnitude being about 10. On Stellarium it's listed as 16. 

Took a few shots earlier at 300mm , but the moon and my budget setup (DSLR and zoom lens) maybe asking a bit much.

Comet E3 appears near Comet U2 atlas now , if you have the dark sky and equipment as Comet C/2022 U2 atlas is Mag 16. 

5-2-23

Taken this evening 18.30 from the garden,  just before cloud arrived. 

Single shot 10 seconds ISO 6400 210mm lens using Pentax astrotracer.

Comet C/2022 E3 ZTF and Capella 

From 2am this morning

02.50

As mentioned above there's a clear sky edging south. I could see the comet with 10x50 bins. 

Took a few photos, but cloud is starting to develop again now. 

Ok so I tried this stack of 10 photos 20 seconds each, iso 6400 and 10 darks in DSS. Its not great and the stars are a bit green. I tried the 2X drizzle setting , not sure if that messed the colours up. This was taken through a 55-300mm zoom at 300mm on 30-1-23

The stack i tried above before had natural colours, does the drizzle setting effect colours? 

I processed this in Rawtherepee 5.9 , I haven't used that programme for ages. 

Most people wouldn't notice the light pollution creeping up around them. If they have no interest in looking up, or even have the time. 

As long as they have nicely lit paths for 24hours, expanding industrial estates blazing lights all night, but supplying jobs. 

I've noticed the urban expansion along with the lights in the last 20 years. A location that was reasonably dark a few miles from town, with good horizons all round, is now amongst houses, street lights, and industrial units. 

Each town is expanding, so the areas between town that were good for sky watching, are shrinking. When trying to escape the lights from one town, you just run into the next. 

Overpopulated maybe?

5 hours ago, Nigella Bryant said:

It is an Eq8R Pro mount. Starburst is due to the secondary vains on the newtononian telescope. 

Ok thanks , I googled the mount 🙂

You've invested alot of time and money into the astronomy kit. 

What type of tracking mount did you use HEQ5? 

And how do you get the starburst effect on the orange star is it Software?

Excuse my questions but I only have basic equipment with a static tripod and DSLR 

I saw them hereabouts in 2018, I think it was 2nd February. I noticed an unusual afterglow to the sunset. And was aware they were seen the previous day in Scotland. 

I took this from the garden 

A quick RAW to JPG edited in camera from Monday 30th January, about 20.30 , clear sky with 70% moon.

Single 20 second exposure iso 3200 , 300mm f5.8 zoom lens. 

While looking at C2022/E3 ZTF through binoculars, some stratus covered the moon and created a lunar corona. 

I took these with my phone on a tripod. 

C2022/E3 ZTF

Handheld lunar corona

29-1-23 

Picked up the comet with my phone on a tripod earlier

3 hours ago, maw lod qan said:

Wonderful image Nigella!

I hoped to get a quick peek at it this morning before work, had the binoculars ready, but it was too cloudy!

Heavens Above is stay right on it with its position. 

It is really moving along now, or as we say it out in the country, "it's really scooting a boot!"!

Or hauling A##e as some US folks say. 

From 25th January 01.45am 

Hazy and humid but mostly clear of clouds. Easy to locate in binoculars. 

Single exposure 20 seconds ISO12800 300mm f5.8 

I don't own a scope, so all my astrophotography is with DSLR lenses. 

This is a 300mm zoom lens @ f5.8 10 seconds single exposure, I used a pentax Astrotracer. 

It's worth a go 

Comet C/2022 E3 ZTF 

I've just picked up C/2020 V2 (ZTF) on a 10 and 20 second exposure with a pentax astrotracer, and 55-300mm zoom on static tripod. 

Was curious if I could pick it up with basic equipment. It's a bit hazy and humid over the town so not ideal conditions.  

Stellarium says it was Mag 10.59 

Woke up at 02.00

Took a dozen shots of Comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF) but it's not clear, thin cirrus around. Yorkshire and Lincs look clearer on Satellite. 

It's also -4C so not nice to be standing outside time for bed. 

Woke up at 04.00 am today to check for  C/2022 E3 (ZTF). 

Clear sky untill about 04.40 am , found the comet easily with a wide 90mm photo shot above Corona Borealis. Then got my bros 10x50 bins and could see the Comet fairly easily. 

The clouds rolled in after about 30 mins. Quite cold 3.5 C and windy. 

Quick in camera RAW to JPG 

Single shot 300mm f5.8 10 seconds ISO 6400 with Pentax K70 + Astrotracer.

I had a brief look about 6am with bins but couldn't find it, then the clouds arrived. 

Why would it have a brighter mag in 10x50 bins, rather than a 12" scope? I would of thought the other way round. 

Awesome result 

A couple of photos of the comet from the backyard. The moon was around 84% for the zoomed shot.

The Corona Borealis photo from last Friday, see if you can spot the comet.

And a single exposure from 3.30am today. 

Alot of clouds moving in , and quite hazy.

These are 10 second exposures with astrotracer and Pentax K70 +90mm tamron macro for the Corona shot, and 55-300 Pentax zoom at 170mm for the second shot.

This is a stack of 20x 10 seconds exp from a week or so back.

The moon was at 90%

The RH was 72% last night, but the sky seemed very hazy. About 3am I got a few shots of Corona Borealis and C/2022 E3 (ZTF), using a static DSLR on tripod. This was quite low in the sky, and a few clouds were quickly passing by. I tried to find the comet with 10x50 bins but wasn't completely sure I could see it. 

The clouds look like they are rolling in again for tonight.

On 16/12/2022 at 16:36, JeremyS said:

Ah well…I’m still waiting for a fluorite spacecraft to land in my garden and they alien saying “I extend the handle of peace - Tak me to your leader”

I remember that Jeremy Beadle prank , when a spacecraft crashed in the street, it wasn't flourite though lol. 

The lady asking the ET " would you like a cup of tea? "  

A repeat of that would be impossible nowadays, with antisocial media latching onto it before they had dug the crater.