Comet Lovejoy no longer so shy!

Astrophotography: share your photos & discuss techniques
User avatar
WCGucfa
Posts: 1856
Joined: Mon Apr 17, 2006 1:39 pm

Comet Lovejoy no longer so shy!

Unread post by WCGucfa »

Comet Lovejoy is a pleasure to look at! You had to get used to it at first, scooching low on the southern horizon, where trees helped
it hide. But now it is climbing higher each night and should be easy for everyone.
It's a beautiful blue-green ball with a thin long tail, visible in long exposures on the web.
The images below show what it will look like in your telescopes and binoculars. It is
wonderful in 25x100 binoculars! Enjoy!

Bill G.

December 26, 2014. 152mm Antares refractor. 30 seconds, Canon t3i, ISO800, unprocessed single frame.
Image

December 26. ISO increased to 1600. 30s, unprocessed single exposure.
Image
Comets:40, Best Meteor shwr: Leonids '01, Best Aurora:Oct. '03.
Total.Sol.Eclipse,7/10/72 from Nova Scotia.Annular Sol. Eclipse '94,
Trans.of Venus 2004&2012.,ShoeLevy crash into Jupiter '94.
4/25/66 fireball-9 mag.,SN2011fe,N2012aw,DelphN2013.
User avatar
Apollo XX
MSSF Coordinator
Posts: 2785
Joined: Sun Jul 11, 2010 8:11 pm

Re: Comet Lovejoy no longer so shy!

Unread post by Apollo XX »

Awesome Bill! That is what I love about your images - they are exactly what I've been seeing in the scopes! Once the moon passes this one could become incredible!
"The purpose of life is the investigation of the Sun, the Moon, and the heavens." - Anaxagoras
User avatar
WCGucfa
Posts: 1856
Joined: Mon Apr 17, 2006 1:39 pm

Re: Comet Lovejoy no longer so shy!

Unread post by WCGucfa »

Thanks Mike.

I'm still trying to get over the close pass of Lovejoy by the globular cluster M79 getting clouded out. :cry:
What an imaging trophy that would have been!
I was hoping it was tonight and I had made a mistake on the date when I saw the lousy sky last night.
Of course, it was not to be.
Anybody have sucker holes for just a glimpse?! I've seen some great images from the lucky locations online.

BG
Last edited by WCGucfa on Mon Dec 29, 2014 2:41 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Comets:40, Best Meteor shwr: Leonids '01, Best Aurora:Oct. '03.
Total.Sol.Eclipse,7/10/72 from Nova Scotia.Annular Sol. Eclipse '94,
Trans.of Venus 2004&2012.,ShoeLevy crash into Jupiter '94.
4/25/66 fireball-9 mag.,SN2011fe,N2012aw,DelphN2013.
User avatar
WCGucfa
Posts: 1856
Joined: Mon Apr 17, 2006 1:39 pm

Re: Comet Lovejoy no longer so shy!

Unread post by WCGucfa »

Hey Paul, do you remember another Lovejoy comet (E2) back in April of 2007?
You called it the faintest comet you ever found! I called it the faintest comet I ever photographed!
We were all excited about it.
Lovejoy of December 2014 is sure making up for the Lovejoy of so many years ago!

Bill G.
Comets:40, Best Meteor shwr: Leonids '01, Best Aurora:Oct. '03.
Total.Sol.Eclipse,7/10/72 from Nova Scotia.Annular Sol. Eclipse '94,
Trans.of Venus 2004&2012.,ShoeLevy crash into Jupiter '94.
4/25/66 fireball-9 mag.,SN2011fe,N2012aw,DelphN2013.
User avatar
NGC7000
15+ Years Member
Posts: 2877
Joined: Thu Dec 21, 2006 9:51 pm

Re: Comet Lovejoy no longer so shy!

Unread post by NGC7000 »

I was able to get a nice view of it last night through my binoculars and telescope. I was really not aware of it until Bruce clued me in. Vive El Presidente! :lol:

I'm hoping to get an image of it tonight. Clear skies ahead!


And Bill- very nice photo!

Tom
Tom H
"Science knows no country, because knowledge belongs to humanity, and is the torch which illuminates the world. Science is the highest personification of the nation because that nation will remain the first which carries the furthest the works of thought and intelligence." - Louis Pasteur
User avatar
Paul D
Equipment Manager
Posts: 2108
Joined: Fri Mar 19, 2004 2:13 pm

Re: Comet Lovejoy no longer so shy!

Unread post by Paul D »

WCGucfa wrote:Hey Paul, do you remember another Lovejoy comet (E2) back in April of 2007?
You called it the faintest comet you ever found! I called it the faintest comet I ever photographed!
We were all excited about it.
Lovejoy of December 2014 is sure making up for the Lovejoy of so many years ago!

Bill G.
Bill,

I sure do remember that comet. Now I need a clear night that I can actually get out and see this comet. The past few nights I went out to find it, it was cloudy early on and when it cleared up it was well behind the trees for me. But hopefully I will get to see it this weekend.
Paul...

16" f/5 Night Sky Truss (Midnight Mistress)
10" f/5 Home built Dob with Parks mirror.
Pre-Meade PST
Celestron Skymaster Binos 25-125x80
Meade Travelview Binos 10x50

See that 16" in the sleek black dress? She is all mine. :)
User avatar
WCGucfa
Posts: 1856
Joined: Mon Apr 17, 2006 1:39 pm

Re: Comet Lovejoy no longer so shy!

Unread post by WCGucfa »

Tom, I can wait to see your images! If I wasn't so lazy, you'd see long stringy tails
and a gazillion background stars in my images. Good luck.
I was out last night also and got a couple of snapshots which I'll post later today.

Paul, I knew you would remember that particular Lovejoy. And of course we just had
what I call Super Lovejoy which took the over the limelight from the failed ISON.

Dang!! I love comets!!!!

BG
Comets:40, Best Meteor shwr: Leonids '01, Best Aurora:Oct. '03.
Total.Sol.Eclipse,7/10/72 from Nova Scotia.Annular Sol. Eclipse '94,
Trans.of Venus 2004&2012.,ShoeLevy crash into Jupiter '94.
4/25/66 fireball-9 mag.,SN2011fe,N2012aw,DelphN2013.
User avatar
NGC7000
15+ Years Member
Posts: 2877
Joined: Thu Dec 21, 2006 9:51 pm

Re: Comet Lovejoy no longer so shy!

Unread post by NGC7000 »

Thanks, Bill, but as it turns out I spent most of the evening watching my guiding graph look like a giant see-saw. Barely looked up long enough to see the sky. Froze really good , though. :lol:

How I love imaging. :roll: :lol:

Tom
Tom H
"Science knows no country, because knowledge belongs to humanity, and is the torch which illuminates the world. Science is the highest personification of the nation because that nation will remain the first which carries the furthest the works of thought and intelligence." - Louis Pasteur
User avatar
WCGucfa
Posts: 1856
Joined: Mon Apr 17, 2006 1:39 pm

Re: Comet Lovejoy no longer so shy!

Unread post by WCGucfa »

Hmmm. Tom, I'm wondering if your guiding graph was picking up your shivering! (?)
When I was out last night, it was 20 degrees, and when I got up at 5 it was 12!!!! UGH!

Bill G.
Comets:40, Best Meteor shwr: Leonids '01, Best Aurora:Oct. '03.
Total.Sol.Eclipse,7/10/72 from Nova Scotia.Annular Sol. Eclipse '94,
Trans.of Venus 2004&2012.,ShoeLevy crash into Jupiter '94.
4/25/66 fireball-9 mag.,SN2011fe,N2012aw,DelphN2013.
User avatar
NGC7000
15+ Years Member
Posts: 2877
Joined: Thu Dec 21, 2006 9:51 pm

Re: Comet Lovejoy no longer so shy!

Unread post by NGC7000 »

Good one, Bill. Happy New Year!

Tom
Tom H
"Science knows no country, because knowledge belongs to humanity, and is the torch which illuminates the world. Science is the highest personification of the nation because that nation will remain the first which carries the furthest the works of thought and intelligence." - Louis Pasteur
Post Reply