comet panstarrs observing session

Frank Ryan · Post by **Frank Ryan** » Thu Mar 21, 2013 11:22 pm

Comet PanSTARRS on the 19th, was really nice in binos and is naked eye once the twilight fades.

Stack of 6 x 2sec exposures at iso 1600 f5.6 at 300mm

Dave Lillis · Post by **Dave Lillis** » Fri Mar 22, 2013 12:00 am

jeazus, where did u get those clear skies ????

even though its a lower magnitude the last week, reports are saying its definitely easier to see .
nice pics.

Frank Ryan · Post by **Frank Ryan** » Fri Mar 22, 2013 8:21 am

Lol. Pulled off the motorway into The Clare Inn
on the way home from work that night as there was lucky break in the clouds.
I put the camera gear in the boot that morning coz I noticed
most evenings driving home on the motorway you'd drive thru some clear patches.

Yeah it's definitely naked eye.
Obviously not as bright as those pics but definitely 'there'.

Simon Kenny · Post by **Simon Kenny** » Fri Mar 22, 2013 9:36 am

Great Pics Frank.
Simon

Jerry Garvey · Post by **Jerry Garvey** » Fri Mar 22, 2013 11:00 am

22/03/2013.
Really great stuff Frank.
I will have to rewrite my old advice of " Grab & Go " to
" Ever Ready Grab & Go ".
Jerry.

Roy Stewart · Post by **Roy Stewart** » Fri Mar 22, 2013 11:26 am

Super catch Frank..
Might be a while til we catch
it again with the weather worsening..

Cheers Roy

Frank Ryan · Post by **Frank Ryan** » Sat Mar 23, 2013 11:28 am

It's pure luck getting the opportunity to see it.
I just so happened to be on the right shift pattern this week and
to be on the motorway every evening at sunset so I had at least some chance of coming across a gap in the clouds.

Well, I got another opportunity to see / photograph this comet tonight -
This time from the comfort of my back door.

It's loosing magnitude for sure, could just barely make it out before it set.
The image is a stack of 26 shots processed in Registax. (hence the odd black lines)

The video is a 20 second clip of the shots in sequence.
I think the tail is dispersing and I'm fairly sure the nucleus is egg shaped.
Hopefully we will get the odd few clear nights to see it before it disappears back into the void for good.

http://youtu.be/yN8podLy1Lw

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Dave Lillis · Post by **Dave Lillis** » Sat Mar 23, 2013 6:53 pm

awesome shots Frank, some of the best I've seen from Ireland of this comet so far.

Funnily enough I was out in the back garden last evening also and could not see this thing with the naked eye, but could see it with the binos and it looked much better then it did last week, despite it been 2 mags fainter, but now has a darker sky..

Had to find it using the lower eastern edge star of Pegasus and good auld fashioned star hopping from there.