PanSTARRS getting better

[melsky]

Another sighting tonight, the tail is getting more visible as it moves away from the sun. Stack of 22 images shot with a 300mm lens on my unmodded 600D mounted on the astrotrac.

Mel

[LukeSkywatcher]

I really want to see this one. Its pretty spectacular by all acounts in bins and imaging.

[Black Knight]

That's a great shot, I haven't even managed to see it!

[ejwwest]

Great picture. what exposure settings did you use?

[Pete Presland]

super image, very nicely done!

[melsky]

Thanks guys

Exposure was 13 seconds at F6.3 @ 800iso I was lucky getting the astrotrac polar aligned in the twilight.

[Glasspusher]

Nicely done, I thought it might be a problem aligning the astrotrac...looks like you did OK.

John

[ejwwest]

Thanks guys

Exposure was 13 seconds at F6.3 @ 800iso I was lucky getting the astrotrac polar aligned in the twilight.

Thanks. That suggests my 400mm lens won't be much use without tracking and the comet isn't visible from my garden where I could track it! Will have to continue with my 50mm f1.4 then.

[Andy_E]

really like this one, best shot on SGL so far! what software did you use for stacking? PS: ejwwest, you should be able to get away with your 400mm lens, but you'll have to up the ISO and keep exposures below 1s. Not ideal I know, but the results can be surprisingly acceptable.

[sologuitarist61]

Great image!

[laser_jock99]

Nice one. I've got to think about increasing my focal length for next time, 200mm isn't enough. Got to get the 300mm or 400mm lenses out? In common with others though it's not visible from my back garden - so tracking is an issue.

[wookie1965]

Great shot just wish i could get a clear night see the thing.

[ollypenrice]

Wizard result!

Olly

[Dodge]

Nice one Mel - another fine advert for the AstroTrac!

[Digz]

Nicely done, I wouldn't have considered using an astrotrac. Did you just have set on sidereal tracking?

[melsky]

Thanks all

Yes the astrotrac was just set to sidereal rate, here is a link to a time laspe I made of 60 frames of the comet which include the ones stacked for the still image.

http://flic.kr/p/e43xUR

[starman1969]

Very nicely done. I was thinking about using my astrotrac for the comet but I have not seen it since the 13th! Clouded out ever since.

Could you tell me more about the sidereal rate? I'm still not quite well up on that sort of thing.

[LukeSkywatcher]

I have not seen this comet yet due to cloud and it being very low (15 degrees elevation). However i was reading SPM's yearbook of astronomy tonight and on 28th Mar 2013 this comet will be 20 degrees high...............which suits me but it will be fainter. Fainter doesnt worry me once i have snowballs chance of seeing it at 20 degrees elevation.

So all hope is not lost.

[Velvet]

lovely image.... not managed to see comet at all clouds clouds clouds

[Andymac79]

The Astrotrac never disappoints, neither do you as the driver, you get fine results with it. Very nice.

[Merlin66]

An interesting spectroscopic observation of Comet PanSTARRS by Paolo Berardi clearly shows the Swan bands of carbon, the continuum from reflected dust and a prominent emission peak of sodium.

http://quasar.teoth.it/html/spectra/Pan_STARRS_poster_pb.jpg

Note: this "peak" would be lost if you're forced to use LPR filters!

[melsky]

Very nicely done. I was thinking about using my astrotrac for the comet but I have not seen it since the 13th! Clouded out ever since.

Could you tell me more about the sidereal rate? I'm still not quite well up on that sort of thing.

Sidereal is just the normal star tracking rate, with the Astrotrac you can also chose lunar or solar rates. The individual frames of the comet are only 13 sec so it's not a problem it's not actually following it, as it get higher and fainter longer exposures will be needed and that’s when autoguiding on the nucleus will be an advantage.

Mel

[iksose7]

Thats the best result i have seen of Panstarrs so far. I had given up even having a sighting of it but after seeing this, i think i'll have another go.

[planetdnb]

Brilliant capture!