Comet C/2011 L4 (PANSTARRS)

[Oystein]

There is currently a comet almost visible in the sky near the sun; currently after sunset, near the set sun. Towards the end of March it should be visible in the morning sky near the horizon:

Comet C/2011 L4 (PANSTARRS)

It's smaller and less bright than I had hoped for, so yesterday I couldn't find it, but today I was mire successful:

This is with an 85 mm lens, aperture 6.3 and 15 seconds exposure - that's where I found him the first time:

Because it isn't really visible to the naked eye, and I didn't know exactly where to look.


Then, 9 minutes later, I zoomed in - 135 mm. Same aperture and exposure time, it just got darker:

A crop from the previous image:

At 15 seconds exposure, the earth turns visibly, the core of the comet becomes a little dash.


And finally, 200 mm, 2.8 aperture and 5 seconds exposure:

cropped:

 

[pakeha]

Loved the photos!

 

[Jack by the hedge]

Thanks for those. I was thwarted by clouds.

 

[Lennart Hyland]

Is it possible to see it from Sweden?

EDIT: Seems like that !

 

[B.S]

I've been waiting for clear skies since it became visible here, and finally it cleared enough for me to get a couple shots tonight.

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[Skeptic Ginger]

It's been cloudy every evening here since it became visible in the northern hemisphere.

 

[Lennart Hyland]

I've been waiting for clear skies since it became visible here, and finally it cleared enough for me to get a couple shots tonight.




[qimg]http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b320/BJPS/Winter%20%202013/P3167989b_filtered.jpg[/qimg]





[qimg]http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b320/BJPS/Winter%20%202013/P3167978b_filtered.jpg[/qimg]


.

Beautiful photos! At what exposure time?

 

[B.S]

... At what exposure time? ...

I used 4 sec. exposure, at ISO 800, and F8 ( because it is the "sweet spot" on my telephoto lens ), at 100 mm of a 300mm lens for the wider shot.

The close up is a crop of a shot at 252 mm., and 2 sec., exposure with everything else the same.



This is what my camera ( Olympus E5 ) needed to get the comet without streaking the head of it too much. A camera with better high ISO capability could get a brighter shot without needing a longer exposure which would cause the comet's head to streak. Each different camera would need to experiment to find the best balance of exposure time and ISO for the best shot it was capable of.


.

 

[Lennart Hyland]

I used 4 sec. exposure, at ISO 800, and F8 ( because it is the "sweet spot" on my telephoto lens ), at 100 mm of a 300mm lens for the wider shot.

The close up is a crop of a shot at 252 mm., and 2 sec., exposure with everything else the same.



This is what my camera ( Olympus E5 ) needed to get the comet without streaking the head of it too much. A camera with better high ISO capability could get a brighter shot without needing a longer exposure which would cause the comet's head to streak. Each different camera would need to experiment to find the best balance of exposure time and ISO for the best shot it was capable of.


.

Ok, thanks for the details! Was it hard to spot it with naked eyes?

I'm planning to head out this evening with my gear and make a few shots, if the sky is clear ofc

 

[rehn]

Is it possible to see it from Sweden?

EDIT: Seems like that !

Visible with binocular yesterday in Enebyberg at 267 degrees, 4 fingers above the horizon. If you outside urban areas it is probably visible without binoculars if you know where to look. Sorry, don't remember exact time.

Btw: Just got an aurora amber alert from.
http://aurorawatch.lancs.ac.uk/
So if you can't see the comet, check N for auroras.

 

[slyjoe]

Thanks for the pictures - really cool.

 

[B.S]

... Was it hard to spot it with naked eyes? ...

I couldn't see it without binoculars ... and I even found it difficult to find with them. It was about 1 and 1/2 times the width of my palm held out at arms length above the horizon when I finally spotted it, and maybe a hands length to the right of where the sun went down below the horizon.

 

[Lennart Hyland]

So I went out for some comet-hunting this evening with poor results but I did spot som beautiful auroras! Thanks for the tip rehn!

About the comet, I didnt really know at what height above the horizont it would appear (Seems that I havent read this thread in detail ) , so it was kinda hard to scan the sky with a pair of binoculars. As soon as the sky will be clear again, I will head out!

 

[Mister Earl]

I'm jealous. I don't think I can see it from here. In Pennsylvania. I gather it's quite low to the horizon and my horizons here have too much mountain on them.

 

[Skeptic Ginger]

One more night, still cloudy. And to top it off there's been a roaring aurora going on for the last 16 hours, and it's been going on while it's daylight here, or cloudy.

 

[B.S]

I just saw the comet again tonight, no problem this time. I even managed to see it ( just barely ) without binoculars. Mainly because it was a little higher into the darker area of the sky. Will post another shot I took in a couple hours.

 

[B.S]

Here is the shot from tonight (17th ). Taken from just outside my back door in the driveway. At least I don't have to go far to get a view now that I know where to look for it.

( Sorry about the "banding" in the sky .. just an artifact of my camera's poor high ISO capability. )

.



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[Lennart Hyland]

I tried this evening also...with no result. This time it was really cold with a clear sky and freezing winds...I could only endure for like 20 min.

Seems like it will be snowing from tomorrow until thursday -.-

 

[Skeptic Ginger]

Grumble grumble. We had clear skies and there was just too much ambient light. I couldn't find it, even with binocs.

I await the November comet and hope every day that month won't be cloudy.

 

[pakeha]

We've had rain and cloudy skies til today, so tonight I'll have my first try at comet hunting.
Raging auroras?
I'm green with envy. I've only seen an aurora once- a sight I'll never forget.