First Date with Lovejoy

[nvchad2]

This morning was the first I've ever seen comet Lovejoy with my own eyes.  Looking into the light pollution over a nearby city, I was never able to find it.  This morning I just pointed the camera where Lovejoy was supposed to be and started zeroing in using long exposures.  It worked.

My pictures aren't anything special but they're a first of their kind for me and that makes them important.  I am very pleased with the results considering I have no method of tracking right now.

The first shot was taken with my 50mm lens set to ISO 400 with a 10 second exposure.  I wanted to try stacking some images but it was VERY cold out and some clouds were closing in fast so I just focused on getting a good single shot for today.

The second image was taken with my Sigma lens zoomed in to 130mm and then cropped pretty heavily.  Zooming in more than that resulted in worse trailing.  It was taken at ISO 1600 for 10 seconds.

[nytecam]

pretty impressive - great stuff on an elusive object

[Beulah]

Great image!

Was it taken on a static or tracking tripod?

[nvchad2]

pretty impressive - great stuff on an elusive object

Thanks.  I definitely hope to get more time with Lovejoy but looks like my stretch of clear skies is coming to an end. Calling for more snow showers . . . so I guess there wont be any new pictures until the clouds move out.

[nvchad2]

Great image!

Was it taken on a static or tracking tripod?

Thank you very much.  Both were on a static tripod.  Limits me to 10 second exposures at most.  Kinda sucks but hoping that after Christmas I'll be able to score a second hand tracking mount at a good price.