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Comet C/2007 N3 (Lulin)

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Author Topic: Comet C/2007 N3 (Lulin)  (Read 22383 times)
Big Dipper
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« Reply #255 on: March 02, 2009, 03:36:50 am »

Many congratulations Jonathan. The greatest joy is probably in getting that first successful image, methinks!
Tonight's sky here in Oxford has to be the best of the year so far! No cloud or mist to speak of and no wind to ruin any images. I spent much time looking at Lulin tonight. The sky transparency was far better than it was the last time that I saw the comet - so if anything, Lulin looked slightly brighter tonight. I could also see a sign of the (anti?) tail and there was a slight hint of green to it as well after I was well dark adapted (well as dark adapted as you can get from the edge of a city)!

I did take a few shots but ditched them due to trailing caused by poor balance after Lulin had crossed the meridian. No matter, I'm sure there'll be enough pictures posted tomorrow.

Just been looking at M13 through my binoculars (Tasco 10x50). My main tripod is tied up with my AstroTrac so I am going to get a secondary one for the binos, as I am spending far more time observing these days, albeit with binoculars - and a steady tripod will enhance the view. Good to see Hercules so high up with Vega & Deneb following...................

..................A reminder that spring and summer is not all that far away now.  Smiley

OK - kettle boiled - so back out!....................
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Andy
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« Reply #256 on: March 02, 2009, 05:14:08 am »

Nice image Johnathan  Smiley I can easily spot the comet and Leo looks nice.

Andy, Glad to hear you had (and still having) a nice observing session, and that you are doing it more often. I have also been bringing out the scope more often and use the binoculars more than ever. I am very excited about the summer and getting out in some warm tempertures! This comet really boosted my interest  Roll Eyes I'll definitely be going to dark skies more often in the summer, when I only have to worry about the clouds, not the temps  Cheesy

Im clouded out tonight though.......winter sucks...
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Big Dipper
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« Reply #257 on: March 02, 2009, 05:42:00 am »

Cheers for the encouragement Tyler. I'm just taking some dark frames as the sky is getting lighter. Also ordered a new tripod for usage with my binoculars. The forecast I saw after this month's Sky at Night also sucks for most of the UK - so I thought I'd better make the most of tonight.

I see this month's calendar has now been posted so as I don't feel in the least tired, might as well make a start on that!  Smiley
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« Reply #258 on: March 02, 2009, 04:56:29 pm »

Im clouded out tonight though.......winter sucks...
Still having winter there, Tyler?  Wink
Here the winter doesn't want to give up. The sky stays bad enough and the snow is on the ground (5cm). I'm hoping now for one or two clear nights on Wed-Thu and finally - the spring in a week or two later.  Roll Eyes
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« Reply #259 on: March 02, 2009, 05:03:08 pm »

Well caught Jonathan
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« Reply #260 on: March 02, 2009, 05:17:41 pm »

Im clouded out tonight though.......winter sucks...
Still having winter there, Tyler?  Wink
Here the winter doesn't want to give up. The sky stays bad enough and the snow is on the ground (5cm). I'm hoping now for one or two clear nights on Wed-Thu and finally - the spring in a week or two later.  Roll Eyes

haha yeah Roman, right now we still have about 9cm of snow on the ground, but that should be gone by friday with 60F temps. spring is only 19 days to go! things look better for the central plains this spring too, due to a drought in the southern plains, this could spell early chase days up here Smiley to early to know for sure though.

good luck to everyone tonight! even though the moon will interfere.
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« Reply #261 on: March 02, 2009, 08:12:02 pm »

Hey Folks, I got home from a wedding at about 2am last night to find the skies clearing very nicely, so I decidied to stay up a little longer to catch Comet Lulin from 2.30-3am thrugh the camera lens. I had found it about 5 degrees west of Leo's brightest star Regulus, but I had found that even with dark skies, it was hard to see with the naked eye, maybe it's fading a lot already? Through my 9x60mm binoculars, I estimate the comet still near magnitude 5 visually, with again a slight hint of a 'tail' stretching east for about one quarter of a degree.

This shot I got is a stack of five 30 second exposures at f3.5 using a Canon 40D and a 200mm 'L' lens, tracked on board an 8" SCT. I had to use a high ISO of 1600 to bring out some detail in the tail, I do hope that you do not find it that objectionable. Over the course of a half-hour, I could clearly see the comet move against the background of stars !

P.S. Did any of you see Saturn lately, what a sight last night, It was my first time ever seeing the rings so flat, so strange - go and look !

www.flickr.com/photos/79652716@N00/3319903870/sizes/l/

Keith..
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« Reply #262 on: March 02, 2009, 10:00:11 pm »

Well done Jonathan!!. Lovely wide field capture with Lulin at centre. Glad you had a good session and a good clear night. Keep shooting.

Andy, enjoyed reading your comments, get that brew down and get some more images  Grin, seriously, glad to hear you got a clear sky and are making the most of it before this severe cold front moves in.

Keith, cracker images!. Gorgeous coma and anti-tail. Definitely an image to be proud of and a special one for the collection.

Seen Lulin last night and again this evening. Visible with naked eye very faintly to the E of Messier 44, looks strange to see two hazy patches when one of them shouldn't be there. The comet has well and truly faded and become more diffuse (with naked eye & binos) compared to it's opposition enhancement. I make it at mag +5.3 or so, give or take a bit. For me the comet is a show-off in a telescope. Lovely green coma, blazing white condensation, and green anti-tail filling the FOV. What's even more impressive is its motion!. Haven't taken any images of it recently though.
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Paul
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« Reply #263 on: March 02, 2009, 10:14:26 pm »

Got this earlier this evening - lots of haze and LP stripped out of it to the deteriment of the anti-tail, but you can see Lulin has well passed regulus and is now on its way to a close enocunter with M44....

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Big Dipper
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« Reply #264 on: March 02, 2009, 10:46:41 pm »

Some very nice images there guys - thanks for sharing.

Paul, I don't think the forecast for the night of the 5th/6th is looking too good at the moment. Plus, as has already been mentioned, moonlight will seriously interfere.  Sad

Martin - re making a brew. I have a folding chair which I often set up on the lawn when using my binoculars. Incorporated in the right arm of the chair is a small net which is designed to hold cups. So, rest assured, I didn't waste too much time.  Grin Grin
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« Reply #265 on: March 03, 2009, 02:08:28 am »

Here is a crop of a wider shot I got on the 2nd March at 02:12UT. I took about 30 images in the hope of getting something of the tail, but this is the only one I've had the chance to look at. If memory serves me right I think it was 48 seconds. Maybe a touch on the green side but this has held the tail.
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« Reply #266 on: March 03, 2009, 03:13:56 am »

Nice looking shots Paul and John Smiley

I hope we clear out soon. Havent had a clear night for weeks, I attempted to view the comet tonight, but (again) a thin layer of clouds dimmed even M44 down to being barely visible in binoculars! I hope its clear thursday night  Undecided
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« Reply #267 on: March 03, 2009, 01:39:33 pm »

I will second what Tyler said, very nice images Paul and John. Very good looking anti-tail on your crop John, you wouldn't think it was a crop either, the detail holds up very well  Smiley

I heard someone estimating Lulin at mag +6.0, I don't think it's that faint but it's not far off it.

Tyler, you are getting some bad cloudy weather lately. I hope your luck changes for the better very soon. The Moon will be a problem for now on though but that shouldn't mess with the telescopic view at all!  Smiley
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« Reply #268 on: March 04, 2009, 02:33:27 pm »

Finally the cloud cover has got broken today, maybe there will be a bit of sky this evening, but the forecast tells me that next night (Thu/Fri) must be even better - possibly clear between 22-4 hours.
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« Reply #269 on: March 04, 2009, 05:59:55 pm »

Well I got a little lucky last night and had a completely clear sky about 4 hours after sunset. I went outside and looked up near M44 for Lulin,  I couldn't fiind it with the binoculars, but when I brought the scope out I found it within 5 minutes. It was much more dim than I expected, it was more tough to find than 6 mag stars, so I'd estimate it to be +6.5 or so. I'm not sure how you guys measure with arc minutes and such, but on the 24th the comet filled the whole FOV in my eyepiece which is 1 degree I think, but tonight was barely detectable with 1/3 the size of my previous observation.

Could someone explain arc minutes? its 1/60th of a degree right? I don't know, sorry guys Undecided
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