Comet Lovejoy Revving Up!

Astrophotography: share your photos & discuss techniques
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WCGucfa
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Comet Lovejoy Revving Up!

Unread post by WCGucfa »

Finally, we are all getting a chance to view Comet Lovejoy! It's like getting a Christmas present you've been waiting all year
to get and being allowed to open it verrrrrry slowly. At first there was the initial excitement! It was large and beautiful! Then the
the teases came from the revered hotshots displaying their trophy pics on Spaceweather, with amazing tail images.
Tail? What tail. The less equipment, and the less dark sky endowed of us began to grow anxious!
Well all this seems to be over. Mike has reported the tail, Paul has reported a tail in his binoculars. Even I have reported seeing
a smudge coming from this snowball. The best of all this tail talk, is that it is accurate! Our visitor is out of hiding and aiming to
put on a great show, worthy of the name Lovejoy.

Bill G.

1/8/2015. For the first time, I think I see an extension. It's faint and may be hard to prove. In a half hour clouds cover the sky.
Going into the house, I ask my wife if she sees it, pointing to my camera back. She says oh, yeahhhh, and draws an outline on the screen
with her finger on the opposite side the the "tail" is actually on.

Image

I need technical help, which I choose in the form of an ancient version of Photoshop Elements. Adjusting a few values, I end up happy!
Image

1/9/2015.The sky looks clear tonight. The tail looks shorter. Then I realize that the sky is lighter, thus hiding the rest of Lovejoy's
tail. The newly fallen snow throughout the region is reflecting artificial light into the sky, reducing precious sky contrast, thus dimmer parts
of Lovejoy's behind are rendered invisible. Fear not,the best is yet to come! I hope. The comet is growing brighter with every step it takes
toward Sol.

Image
Last edited by WCGucfa on Tue Jan 13, 2015 10:11 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.
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NGC7000
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Re: Comet Lovejoy Revving Up!

Unread post by NGC7000 »

Whoa, Bill! You are catching the tail now alright. These are great shots. Like the middle one in particular.

We were onto it Saturday night at the meeting. Bob Mag had the big eyes on the sky and we all had a chance to see it up close and personal.

Thanks for posting.

Tom
Tom H
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DonB
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Re: Comet Lovejoy Revving Up!

Unread post by DonB »

Bill, Those are very striking images of the comet. I know you say your lazy, but I would very much like to know the set up. The tail is very clear. Very nice image. :mrgreen: :mrgreen: :mrgreen:

Don
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WCGucfa
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Re: Comet Lovejoy Revving Up!

Unread post by WCGucfa »

Thanks for the comments, guys.
Being my same old lazy self, Don, as well as bordering on complete computer illiteracy, these are my standard 30 second exposures
at 1600 ISO. with my 6" Antares scope. The jalopy in the barn is the Photoshop Elements. The first two images are the same. Fearing no one could see
the tail on the initial exposure, I experimented with the photo enhancing buttons (meaning I wildly pushed them, hoping something
good would pop up) and color values did the trick. With one button push, the colors of the image were separated and enhanced, giving
the image you see. It actually startled me when it first appeared.
Oh how I wish I could brag that my years of Photoshop knowledge and great expertise brought forth this neat image!
One good discovery of the experiment was how the background stars were also enhanced and made so evident, close to 14th mag.
I can see this being VERY useful in future adventures!

Bill G.
Last edited by WCGucfa on Tue Jan 13, 2015 10:15 pm, edited 2 times 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.
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Ronald Z
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Re: Comet Lovejoy Revving Up!

Unread post by Ronald Z »

Nice image captures of Lovejoy Q2, Bill.

Ron Z :P
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WCGucfa
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Re: Comet Lovejoy Revving Up!

Unread post by WCGucfa »

Thanks, Ron and Bill,

It's so great that we're ALL having a blast with this comet!

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.
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