SEESTAR GRABS VICTORY FROM THE JAWS OF DEFEAT - 12P/Pons-Brooks

[paulastro]

Went up to Penistone Hill with Seestar and 10x50s to see Pons-Brooks, first opportunity for eight days due to poor weather. 

Set tripod out next to car as dusk fell (8.30pm).  The wind was too strong for the S50 so sat in the car to see if the wind dropped - it didn't and the car was rocking from side to side at times!  I didn't have much time as the comet would be getting too low, so I drove to a lower position in hope I'd be more sheltered.  It was good enough to try, so I set up the Seestar on the tripod for the first time, with a weight to steady the tripod.

Fired up the S50, and not unexpectedly, it couldn't find any stars to focus on. (I had checked in my binocs and I couldn't see any stars or the comet below Jupiter which was only a little over 5 degrees from the comet).

Interestingly the only thing I could see on my phones screen was a dim image of the comets coma!  Elsewhere the sky was reasonable but there was thin clouds/haze under Jupiter.  I pressed the button to start enhancing the image more in hope than expectation.

The S50 rejected a lot of subs because of the wind causing the stars to trail, but I did manage to accumulate an exposure of 11 minutes, but it took a lot longer.  The exposure was completed at 9.21 with the comet only at an altitude of 5 degrees.

The original image did show the tail to a degree and some faint stars, but not great - unsurprisingly in the conditions.  The focus seemed OK- I guess the focus reverts to its mean focus if it can't actually focus in poor conditions.  There is some star trailing, but less than I expected.

I did some brief enhancing using the phone's camera software when I arrived home, and though noisy and not great quality, it shows an awful lot more than I could see through my 10x50s, which was absolutely nothing!  

This is just the sort of occassion when the Seestar can save the day.  I don't consider myself an imager, but the Seestar is a fabulous tool to aid my visual observing. Enhanced pic added below.

 

Edited April 10 by paulastro

[Mark at Beaufort]

Well done Paul you certainly saw more than I did. 

Seeing these photos being produced by the Seestar makes me want to purchased one.

[paulastro]

1 hour ago, Mark at Beaufort said:

Well done Paul you certainly saw more than I did. 

Seeing these photos being produced by the Seestar makes me want to purchased one.

Thank you Mark.  I can honestly say that if I can use it then anyone  can.  As far as I can see it works flawlessly.  The first time I used it, I thought straight away I had my money's worth. 😊

[RobertI]

Nicely captured!

[LaurenceT]

Excellent image, well done.

[Sunshine]

That’s a great image, I too am growing curious with this litte scope that could.

[Stephenstargazer]

I went into a (very wet) field near my house at the end of twilight on (windy) Tuesday with 15x50 IS bins and picked out the head of the comet nicely. For a bonus Uranus was an easy find too. It is a good Western horizon but by no means dark sky. No idea what I stepped in though.....

Edited April 13 by Stephenstargazer