Hi everyone!
I rarely shoot comets. Actually, let me correct that: I shoot most bright comet apparitions, but I rarely process them. They are a challenge to process right, being moving targets (literally!). As evidence of this, I have quite a bit of data of recent comets that I have not gotten around to processing. Including Holmes and its outburst, of which I have quite a few shots of but only one that's been completely processed to my satisfaction.
I don't know if this trend will change anytime soon, but this particular pairing of Comet 103P/Hartley and the Double Cluster was too good an opportunity to pass up!
One thing for sure: if I keep this up, I won't be on anyone's list of astro-event photographers!
I shot two images of 103P/Hartley and the Double Cluster last October, 2010. A friend pointed out the closest approach of the comet to the clusters early in the morning of October 8. I decided to shoot this conjunction; as a side benefit, the timing of the conjunction was what spurred me to image IC1848 in the first place (shoot IC1848 while waiting for the conjunction)!
I shot two sequences, one at around 9:30PM EDT October 7, just in case conditions deteriorated (or in case I had trouble getting up early in the morning!), and one around 3:30AM EDT October 8. I may have overdone the processing of the October 8 image, so the comet in that version looks bigger and brighter. Ah, well!
Enjoy!
http://www.skiesbyafrica.com/Clusters/DoubleCluster.html
Eric
I rarely shoot comets. Actually, let me correct that: I shoot most bright comet apparitions, but I rarely process them. They are a challenge to process right, being moving targets (literally!). As evidence of this, I have quite a bit of data of recent comets that I have not gotten around to processing. Including Holmes and its outburst, of which I have quite a few shots of but only one that's been completely processed to my satisfaction.
I don't know if this trend will change anytime soon, but this particular pairing of Comet 103P/Hartley and the Double Cluster was too good an opportunity to pass up!
One thing for sure: if I keep this up, I won't be on anyone's list of astro-event photographers!
I shot two images of 103P/Hartley and the Double Cluster last October, 2010. A friend pointed out the closest approach of the comet to the clusters early in the morning of October 8. I decided to shoot this conjunction; as a side benefit, the timing of the conjunction was what spurred me to image IC1848 in the first place (shoot IC1848 while waiting for the conjunction)!
I shot two sequences, one at around 9:30PM EDT October 7, just in case conditions deteriorated (or in case I had trouble getting up early in the morning!), and one around 3:30AM EDT October 8. I may have overdone the processing of the October 8 image, so the comet in that version looks bigger and brighter. Ah, well!
Enjoy!
http://www.skiesbyafrica.com/Clusters/DoubleCluster.html
Eric
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