Comet watching

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Originally Posted by Gumby

I saw it tonight around 9.30

Not bad but seen one comet, seen 'em all.:cool:

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Yeah we made the pilgrimage to the hill to see it too.

Al :U

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BTW how does one get star/comet type photos to work on a digital. We have an olympus 500. Its got a setting for night time/low light photography but I couldnt get anything to show up.

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Tricky with the little consumer digitals. If you try the long exposures that you need the electronic noise from the CCD sensor drowns out the picture. The better digital cameras (usually DSLR ones) have better sensors that can do the 10-30 sec exposures.

The pics I took were with a Pentax film SLR - I think about 8 seconds with 400 ASA film. My cheapy digital just wasn't up to it :-

Ian

We first seen the comet last Sunday night and it was brilliant here.It is still very clear from just after sunset but nothing like it was.The weather has been in our favour with very clear dark skies.I'm not sure how the kids like it with the local lover's lanes,hilltop look outs etc filled with people looking at the comet.Regards Terry

has *anyone* in SA seen the comet with a tail?

my pics were taken with a basic digital camera using delayed trigger on a tripod. still only about 1/2 s exposure: it doesn't have 'bulb' capability.

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Originally Posted by zenwood

Always possible I suppose, but I saw nothing else that looked more like a comet, and this was visible way before any other stars were.

I went and had another look last night. No sign of a tail. Pushing my little camera to the max on a tripod, I got the attached pics. I assume from the irregular shape that it's the comet (though I didn't try taking another of a star to check what it looked like). Those photos showing a spectacular tail, I assume must have been taken with powerful lenses, time exposures, etc...?

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These are pictures of Venus.
I took some photos tonight with my big medium format camera but will have to get them developed. It is not as bright as it was. I had to wait until venus had almost set to see it with the naked eye. It is 3-4 extended handsbreadths to the south of venus and about 1 handsbreadth higher above the horizon. The tail was obvious and spans about 10degrees up above the comet head pointing somewhat to the south.
See my finder chart here
http://www.woodworkforums.ubeaut.com...chmentid=38700
It will be close enough for most of the southern half of Oz.

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Originally Posted by zenwood

has *anyone* in SA seen the comet with a tail?

my pics were taken with a basic digital camera using delayed trigger on a tripod. still only about 1/2 s exposure: it doesn't have 'bulb' capability.

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You will need a much longer exposure than that. I tried with 4 secs through my little digital camera tonight with no success. I took 30 sec and 60 sec exposure with my film camera and hope they will be OK.

It was still clearly visable here to-night again but it is fading,and I think there is maybe only a couple of days left to see it.That would make it a full week since it first became visable,pretty extraordinary really.Regards Terry.

if my pic is of venus, and i have to wait till it sets, then that would be a good hour or two later, about 11 pm ??

Have a look once it's fully dark, the comet is a little higher than Venus and over to the left. Last week you could first see the comet about 5 mins after Venus became visible, but it's fading now and you will need to wait till it's much darker.

Haven't seen it for a few days.. clouds :-

Cheers

Ian

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Originally Posted by zenwood

if my pic is of venus, and i have to wait till it sets, then that would be a good hour or two later, about 11 pm ??

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No, Venus sets about 2100hrs

Visible tonight in NZ, but much fainter, 9:50 here :rolleyes:

Cheers

Ian

Spaceweather.com http://spaceweather.com/ is hosting some nice pictures of comet McNaught. Here's a link to a very nice picture taken from Sydney on Australia Day.

http://spaceweather.com/comets/mcnau...n07/Vavra1.jpg

Cheers,

Mark.