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Comet 17P / Holmes

DaddyODaddyO Registered Users Posts: 4,466 Major grins
edited November 12, 2007 in Other Cool Shots
I find celestial photography pretty cool, especially when there is something
interesting going on somewhere in the heavens that my camera can capture.
Meteor showers, comets, aurora displays, et...

Anywho, theres a cool comet to be seen in the constellation Perseus.
It can be seen naked eye pretty easily under dark skys if you can find dark enough evening skies.
Complete info (finder sky charts) and other shots can be seen at spaceweather.com.

I managed to grab these two on Shooting Date 11/8/2007 9:15:20 PM.
Not as high end as many of the shots to be seen at spaceweather but
the what the hay. I had fun trying. :D Michael

17.0 - 50.0 mm f2.8 lens @ 47mm, f3.2, ISO1600 for 10 seconds,
manual focus (@ infinity) & exposure, tripod mounted. Canon EOS 30D.

Yeah, its the little fuzz ball. :wink
17P_Holmes_9275.jpg


Lens EF70-200mm f/2.8L USM @ f2.8 & 200mm, ISO 1600 for 5 seconds,
manual focus (@ infinity) & exposure, tripod mounted. Canon EOS 30D.

17P_Holmes_9276.jpg
Michael

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    SkippySkippy Registered Users Posts: 12,075 Major grins
    edited November 10, 2007
    DaddyO wrote:
    I find celestial photography pretty cool, especially when there is something
    interesting going on somewhere in the heavens that my camera can capture.
    Meteor showers, comets, aurora displays, et...

    Anywho, theres a cool comet to be seen in the constellation Perseus.
    It can be seen naked eye pretty easily under dark skys if you can find dark enough evening skies.
    Complete info (finder sky charts) and other shots can be seen at spaceweather.com.

    I managed to grab these two on Shooting Date 11/8/2007 9:15:20 PM.
    Not as high end as many of the shots to be seen at spaceweather but
    the what the hay. I had fun trying. :D Michael

    17.0 - 50.0 mm f2.8 lens @ 47mm, f3.2, ISO1600 for 10 seconds,
    manual focus (@ infinity) & exposure, tripod mounted. Canon EOS 30D.

    Yeah, its the little fuzz ball. mwink.gif

    Lens EF70-200mm f/2.8L USM @ f2.8 & 200mm, ISO 1600 for 5 seconds,
    manual focus (@ infinity) & exposure, tripod mounted. Canon EOS 30D.

    How did you even know it was in the sky ???
    It looks pretty tiny to me, I wouldn't have noticed it headscratch.gif ... Skippy :D
    .
    .
    Skippy (Australia) - Moderator of "HOLY MACRO" and "OTHER COOL SHOTS"

    ALBUM http://ozzieskip.smugmug.com/

    :skippy Everyone has the right to be stupid, but some people just abuse the privilege :dgrin
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    DaddyODaddyO Registered Users Posts: 4,466 Major grins
    edited November 10, 2007
    Skippy,

    Turns out the small fuzzball is way much larger than I had any clue of.
    Impressive!
    http://www.spaceweather.com/comets/holmes/07nov07/Kurt-Allen-Fisher1.jpg

    www.spaceweather.com sends out free alerts via email or phone to those
    who just gotta know whats going on. Especially useful if there might be
    a chance of aurora in your area. Fairly rare down our way but it does happen
    often enough to want a heads up. Halfway down their page on the left you
    will see a link called Current Auroral Oval: That site watches both poles for
    activity.

    Several years back I was smitten by the bug to get a pro class aurora shot.
    So far I have failed to do that but it wasn't for lack of trying.

    Heres what I did get when I knew so little. :D Michael

    http://www.quick-silver.net/nightsky/aurora/aurora.html
    Michael
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    DJ-S1DJ-S1 Registered Users Posts: 2,303 Major grins
    edited November 10, 2007
    Great stuff! I wouldn't have thought that you could get such good results without a telescope - I may have to give this a try myself. thumb.gif
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    DJ-S1DJ-S1 Registered Users Posts: 2,303 Major grins
    edited November 10, 2007
    Skippy wrote:
    How did you even know it was in the sky ???
    It looks pretty tiny to me, I wouldn't have noticed it headscratch.gif ... Skippy :D
    .
    Skippy, it's pretty easy to find it once you know it's out there to be found. Check this map.

    The "W" is a pretty easy constellation to spot in the northern hemisphere, do you folks down there see it as well?
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    DaddyODaddyO Registered Users Posts: 4,466 Major grins
    edited November 10, 2007
    DJ-S1, It is pretty cool the results that can be had anymore short of using
    a telescope. Of course if you can hang your camera on a telescope the WOW
    factor goes way up fast. Since my Canon G2 gave up the ghost I am no
    longer able to take more proper photos through my scope. Dang it. :D
    Michael
    Michael
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    DaddyODaddyO Registered Users Posts: 4,466 Major grins
    edited November 10, 2007
    Last thing. The redish light cast low in photo 1 is not a error in lens or sensor.
    It is from the city of Boise's "light dome". That would be the light from any
    city to goes up and obscures the night sky stars. Michael
    Michael
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    pyrypyry Registered Users Posts: 1,733 Major grins
    edited November 10, 2007
    Cool!

    I didn't think I'd find any astro stuff on this forum, but here it is :D
    Good job catching the comet. I like the second frame, you've got the shape and structure down well. Did you consider stacking for noise control?

    I tried shooting Holmes about a week ago, but it was too windy, the whole support was shaking. It was pretty through my telescope though. And now it's constantly cloudy...
    Creativity's hard.

    http://pyryekholm.kuvat.fi/
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    gusgus Registered Users Posts: 16,209 Major grins
    edited November 10, 2007
    pyry wrote:
    Cool!

    I didn't think I'd find any astro stuff on this forum, but here it is :D
    Good job catching the comet. I like the second frame, you've got the shape and structure down well. Did you consider stacking for noise control?

    I tried shooting Holmes about a week ago, but it was too windy, the whole support was shaking. It was pretty through my telescope though. And now it's constantly cloudy...

    I agree..very nice daddo thumb.gif I certainly wouldnt have expected those results. you did a great job.

    I will have to see if its visible in the southern hemisphere now. Ive got 2 comet photos on my site & i must admit..its pretty addictive from the first one.
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    DaddyODaddyO Registered Users Posts: 4,466 Major grins
    edited November 11, 2007
    Pyry, thanks for the feedback.

    There is the occasional astro photography shot around here. Just did a search
    dgrin forums query astro photography. Several hits. Now to check whats
    under star trails. Know theres stuff there also as I have already seen some
    nice shots around.

    Never even considered "stacking" up shots. Know that folks are doing it with
    stunning results, I've just never tried it.

    Sorry to hear your under cloud cover just now. We are too (rain). I was going
    to try a few shots for stacking attempt.

    I've went back and checked out how bad the noise was once again. Here is
    whats there at 100% actual image cropped tight.
    Not bad noise really but it is there for sure. Especially color noise.
    The resolution considering the lens et... is I think excellent.
    17P_HolmesCrop_9276.jpg

    Then a quick fix in Lightroom. The first two shots this thread were "fixed"
    in photoshop. Lightroom did the fix faster and probably better.
    17P_HolmesEnhanceCrop_9276.jpg
    Michael
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    DaddyODaddyO Registered Users Posts: 4,466 Major grins
    edited November 11, 2007
    Gus, Thanks. Nice of you comment.

    Checked out your comet Mcnaught pics. You got awesome results there. thumb.gif
    We had no such spectacular display here. When I tried for it the comet was
    going down with the sun and fairly small. Its presence could barely be seen
    naked eye as its coloring matched the setting suns just off the horizon.
    Happens that way time to time. :cry

    I was there but the photo wasn't. Thats me whinning. :D Michael
    Michael
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    DaddyODaddyO Registered Users Posts: 4,466 Major grins
    edited November 11, 2007
    Gus. Was checking out other comet Mcnaught photos as seen from
    your side of the globe.

    http://www.spaceweather.com/comets/gallery_mcnaught_page21.php
    Michael
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    gusgus Registered Users Posts: 16,209 Major grins
    edited November 11, 2007
    DaddyO wrote:
    Gus. Was checking out other comet Mcnaught photos as seen from
    your side of the globe.

    http://www.spaceweather.com/comets/gallery_mcnaught_page21.php
    Yeah i saw those. I sent both mine in several times & they wouldnt put them up ne_nau.gif They did receive them so i cant blame the emails.
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    DaddyODaddyO Registered Users Posts: 4,466 Major grins
    edited November 12, 2007
    Originally posted by Gus.
    Yeah i saw those. I sent both mine in several times & they wouldnt put them up ne_nau.gif
    They did receive them so i cant blame the emails.
    Too bad as they are really great photos.
    I've had the same thing happen submitting to spaceweather.com. But thats
    ok. A few did make it. No bid deal.
    I think that the webmaster there Dr. Tony Phillips.
    is nearly a one man show and is stretched a little thin.

    I doubt I'll bother with sending my 17P/Holmes photo. They have enough
    really good shots already.

    Took more shots of 17P lastnight. Near zenith this time.
    Seems f2.8 might be asking too much
    of the lens and I found focus issues at infinity. The sweet spot there is a
    fine line. Like Shay was saying, review in LCD before committing.

    thumb.gif Thanks, Michael
    Michael
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