Comets

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0 height="100%"><tr> <td valign="top" width=168 BGCOLOR="#000000" TEXT="#F7F7FF" background="13ea11c3.png"> <div> <A HREF="http://www.petergarbett.com" TARGET="_top" TITLE="http://www.petergarbett.com"><B><IMG SRC="14f64510.png" border=0 width="100" height="81" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></A></div> <div> <A HREF="https://www.petergarbett.com" TARGET="_top" TITLE="https://www.petergarbett.com"><B>Home</B></A></div> <bR> <div> Comets have historically induced a sense of awe and dread in humans. Comets are now understood to be bodies rather loosely held together. When they approach the Sun the increasing input of thermal energy causes the ices and dust that make up much of the comet to be ejected and form a huge 'fuzzy ball' or coma surrounding the much smaller parent body or nucleus. The effect of the solar wind, a stream of particles emitted by the Sun, is to produce the tails for which comets are famed.</div> </td> <td valign="top" width="100%" BGCOLOR="#000000" TEXT="#F7F7FF"> <div> <B>Comets</B><FONT SIZE="7" COLOR="#FFFF00" FACE="Times New Roman" > </FONT></div> <div> <IMG SRC="00758020.png" border=0 width="600" height="2" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> Comet 46P/Wirtanen</div> <bR> <bR> <div> Comet 46P/Wirtanen is a short-period comet with an orbital period of 5.4 years. The comet is relatively small with an estimated diameter of just 1.2 kilometres. </div> <div> The object was the original target for ESA’s Rosetta spacecraft but the launch window was missed so 67P/Churymov-Gerasimenko was Rosetta’s target in the end. </div> <bR> <div> Comet 46P/Wirtanen was discovered by Carl A. Wirtanen in 1948 at the Lick Observatory, California via photographic plate. The plate was exposed on 17 January </div> <div> 1948 during a stellar proper motion survey at the observatory. It took over a year before the object was recognised as a short-period comet due to a lack of observations. </div> <div> 46P belongs to a small family of comets that have a higher level of activity than expected for their nucleus size. They emit more water vapour than they should.</div> <bR> <div> Perihelion passage of comet Wirtanen was on 16 December 2018 when it passed a mere 0.078 AU (7,220,000 mi) from Earth.</div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="1d2ba9b0.jpg" border=0 width="954" height="667" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <bR> <bR> <div> <B>15th - 16th December, 2018</B></div> <div> 13 x 2 minute exposures with astro-modded Canon EOS 450D DSLR</div> <div> 800 ASA, 135mm lens @ F3.5</div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> Comet 2014 Q2 Lovejoy</div> <bR> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="1ce20690.jpg" border=0 width="800" height="617" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <bR> <div> 16.01.15</div> <div> 2 x 10 minute images with SXVR-H18 CCD on 80mm Megrez apochromat @ F4.8</div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="1cf34680.jpg" border=0 width="820" height="616" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <bR> <div> 10.01.15</div> <div> Crude LRGB image with SXVR-H18 CCD on 80mm Megrez apochromat @ F4.8</div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="1d0b38e0.jpg" border=0 width="947" height="1422" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <bR> <div> 06.01.15</div> <div> Comet Lovejoy appeared as a fuzzy green ball in Eridanus: just visible to the naked-eye despite a low Moon only 2 days past full.</div> <div> Canon EOS 450D, 50mm lens @ F4, Astronomik CLS-CCD filter, 5 x 150s.</div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="1d1ca500.jpg" border=0 width="714" height="848" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <bR> <div> 29.12.15</div> <div> The comet may be spied as a small green/blue ball near tree branches to the lower right in southern Lepus.</div> <div> A tricky image to obtain given the low altitude and moonlight.</div> <div> Canon EOS 450D, 50mm lens @ F4, Astronomik CLS-CCD filter, 4 x 1mins</div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> Comet C/2013 R1 Lovejoy</div> <bR> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="1bbe4010.jpg" border=0 width="996" height="769" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <bR> <div> 2nd January 2014  <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#FFCC33" FACE="Trebuchet MS" >05:58 - 06:41 UTC</FONT></div> <div> Comet C/2013 Lovejoy R1</div> <div> SXVR-H18 CCD;  80mm Megrez apo refractor @ F4.8; </div> <div> Baader UV/IR rejection filter; 8 x 5 minute exposures.</div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="1bc5f8a0.jpg" border=0 width="863" height="650" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <bR> <div> 20th December 2013  <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#FFCC33" FACE="Trebuchet MS" >05:55 - 06:42 UTC</FONT></div> <div> Comet C/2013 Lovejoy R1</div> <div> Strong moonlight and breezy.</div> <div> SXVR-H18 CCD;  80mm Megrez apo refractor @ F4.8; </div> <div> Baader UV/IR rejection filter; 5 x 5 minute exposures.</div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="1b97b510.jpg" border=0 width="891" height="593" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="1ba3a7a0.jpg" border=0 width="1338" height="890" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <bR> <div> 14th December 2013</div> <div> Comet C/2013 R1 Lovejoy in Hercules</div> <div> Modded Canon EOS 450D DSLR, 50mm Olympus OM lens @ F2.8.</div> <div> Unguided: 19 x 10s exposures</div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> <B>Comet C/2011 L4 Panstarrs</B></div> <bR> <bR> <div> On 19th March 2013, I was able to secure some images of the comet as it emerged into the twilight, only 20 degrees from the Sun. </div> <div> The transparency was limited by some haze which became fog later in the night. The coma was at least 2nd magnitude with a short </div> <div> dust tail emanating from it.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="1ad0a390.jpg" border=0 width="1034" height="569" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> 19.03.13  <FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#FFCC33" FACE="Trebuchet MS" >19:24 UTC  entrance to a field between Sharnbrook and Odell</FONT></div> <div> Modified (Juan Fierros) Canon EOS 450D @ f/2.8, f=50mm (81mm equivalent)</div> <div> ISO 800, 2s unguided, altitude 7 degrees</div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="1ae2ac70.jpg" border=0 width="1066" height="711" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> 19.03.13  <FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#FFCC33" FACE="Trebuchet MS" >19:28 UTC  entrance to a field between Sharnbrook and Odell</FONT></div> <div> Modified (Juan Fierros) Canon EOS 450D @ f/2.8, f=50mm (81mm equivalent)</div> <div> ISO 800, 2s unguided</div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="1afe89b0.jpg" border=0 width="1000" height="667" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> 19.03.13  <FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#FFCC33" FACE="Trebuchet MS" >19:29 UTC  entrance to a field between Sharnbrook and Odell (star upper right is magnitude 2.06 star Alpheratz (Alpha Andromedae)</FONT></div> <div> Modified (Juan Fierros) Canon EOS 450D @ f/2.8, f=50mm (81mm equivalent)</div> <div> ISO 800, 2s unguided</div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="1b0e89b0.jpg" border=0 width="1000" height="667" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> 19.03.13  <FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#FFCC33" FACE="Trebuchet MS" >19:31 UTC  entrance to a field between Sharnbrook and Odell</FONT></div> <div> Modified (Juan Fierros) Canon EOS 450D @ f/3.5, f=135mm (219mm equivalent)</div> <div> ISO 800, 4s unguided</div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="1b2c8db0.jpg" border=0 width="712" height="475" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> 19.03.13</div> <div> Modified (Juan Fierros) Canon EOS 450D @ f/3.5, f=135mm (219mm equivalent)</div> <div> ISO 800, 6s unguided, altitude 6 degrees</div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="1b32cc80.jpg" border=0 width="1068" height="712" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <bR> <div> 30.03.13  </div> <div> Modified (Juan Fierros) Canon EOS 450D @ f/2.8, f=50mm (81mm equivalent)</div> <div> ISO 800, 4s unguided</div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="1b4ffc20.jpg" border=0 width="1023" height="706" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <bR> <div> 01.04.13  <FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#FFCC33" FACE="Trebuchet MS" >From a field near Keysoe, Comet Panstarrs in Andromeda</FONT></div> <div> Modified (Juan Fierros) Canon EOS 450D @ f/2.8, f=50mm (81mm equivalent)</div> <div> ISO 800, 4s unguided</div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="1b52cc80.jpg" border=0 width="1068" height="712" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <bR> <bR> <div> 02.04.13  <FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#FFCC33" FACE="Trebuchet MS" >From a field near Keysoe, Comet Panstarrs in Andromeda</FONT></div> <div> Modified (Juan Fierros) Canon EOS 450D @ f/2.8, f=50mm (81mm equivalent)</div> <div> ISO 800, 4s unguided</div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="1b6c8db0.jpg" border=0 width="712" height="475" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <bR> <div> 02.04.13  <FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#FFCC33" FACE="Trebuchet MS" >From a field near Keysoe, Comet Panstarrs in Andromeda</FONT></div> <div> Modified (Juan Fierros) Canon EOS 450D, f=135mm, ISO 800</div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="1b7c8d80.jpg" border=0 width="712" height="472" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <div> 03.04.13  <FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#FFCC33" FACE="Trebuchet MS" >From a field near Keysoe, Comet Panstarrs in Andromeda</FONT></div> <div> Modified (Juan Fierros) Canon EOS 450D @ f/2.8, f=50mm (81mm equivalent)</div> <div> ISO 800, 6s unguided</div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="1b8e8b50.jpg" border=0 width="1000" height="693" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <bR> <div> 01.06.13</div> <div> Comet Panstarrs sporting an anti-tail (pointing towards the Sun)</div> <div> Modified (Juan Fierros) Canon EOS 450D @ f/4, f=50mm</div> <div> ISO 800, 76 x 30 secs</div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> <B><U>Comet 17P/Holmes super outburst</U></B></div> <bR> <div> This innocuous comet of magnitude 16.9 suddenly brightened dramatically in late October</div> <div> 2007,to be plainly visible as an additional fuzzy 'star' in Perseus. At 04:30 U.T. on the </div> <div> morning of 27.10.07, I estimated its magnitude as 2.65, half a million times brighter than </div> <div> normal! The material ejected from the nucleus of the comet rapidly expanded and </div> <div> although fainter, the comet remained relatively easily visible to the maked-eye for many </div> <div> weeks. The weird thing about this comet is that it was observed to perform a similar</div> <div> outburst back in 1892.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> 8.11.07</div> <bR> <div> Both images with Orion 80mm ED Apo refractor @ F7.5 and SXV-H9 CCD, but the latter was binned 2x2. </div> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="19aa4e90.jpg" border=0 width="676" height="489" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"> </div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="19baafb0.jpg" border=0 width="682" height="507" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> 31.10.07</div> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="17db4a80.jpg" border=0 width="180" height="168" ALIGN="LEFT" HSPACE="5" VSPACE="0"> </div> <div>    Jets of material ejected from the comet's</div> <div>    nucleus revealed using a rotational gradient</div> <div>    Larson-Sekanina filter of 12 degrees in </div> <div>    MaxImDL software. The original image was</div> <div>    a stack of 55 x 15s L filtered images with an</div> <div>    Orion 80mm ED Apo refractor @ F7.5 and</div> <div>    SXV-H9 CCD camera.</div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> 30.10.07</div> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="1aa58da0.jpg" border=0 width="600" height="474" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">   </div> <bR> <bR> <div> Above: stack of 58 x 15s L exposures through Orion 80mm ED apo refractor @ F7.5 </div> <div> with an SXV-H9 CCD camera.</div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="17ff4330.jpg" border=0 width="500" height="307" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">    </div> <bR> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="180b4b20.jpg" border=0 width="180" height="178" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <bR> <div> Above: rotational gradient Larson-Sekanina filter applied to original image to reveal jets and faint </div> <div> longer tail structures.</div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> 29.10.07</div> <bR> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="19d4cfc0.jpg" border=0 width="588" height="508" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"> </div> <bR> <div> Above: stack of 26 x 15s L exposures through Orion 80mm ED apo refractor @ F7.5 </div> <div> with an SXV-H9 CCD camera.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="182b4b80.jpg" border=0 width="180" height="184" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">  12 degrees          <IMG SRC="183b4aa0.jpg" border=0 width="180" height="170" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0">  8 degrees</div> <bR> <div> Above: rotational gradient Larson-Sekanina filter applied to original image to reveal jets.</div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> <B><U>Comet Machholz</U></B></div> <bR> <div> <B><IMG SRC="1a220e20.jpg" border=0 width="800" height="482" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></div> <div> Comet Machholz meets The Pleiades  8.1.05</div> <div> This mazaic took 6 weeks to put together from nearly 200 separate 1 minute exposures. Each piece of</div> <div> the mozaic was the product of 2x2 binned 5 x 1 min Luminance plus 3 x 1 minute  R, G and B exposures.</div> <div> The camera used was an SXV-H9 CCD mounted on a Megrez 80 APO refractor at F3.8!</div> <bR> <bR> <div> <B><IMG SRC="1a6b1870.jpg" border=0 width="433" height="647" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></div> <div> Comet Machholz on 1.1.05</div> <bR> <div> Battled against wind and rain to get this one! The comet was an easy naked-eye object in Taurus.</div> <div> A stack of 64 x 15s 2x2 binned Luminance exposures with my SXV-H9 CCD on the Orion 80 ED Apo </div> <div> refractor @ F4.8. Colour info. R=7x15s, G=6x15s, B=5x15s. Tricky processing to eliminate star </div> <div> trails due to rapid comet motion.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> <B><IMG SRC="16d89360.gif" border=0 width="393" height="310" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></div> <div> Animation of the ghostly green Comet Machholz in mist and moonlight 19.12.04</div> <div> C/2004 Q2 Machholz: SXV-H9 CCD on Orion 80 ED Apo refractor @ F4.8</div> <bR> <bR> <div> <B><IMG SRC="1ac90640.jpg" border=0 width="400" height="612" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></div> <div> Zodiacal Light</div> <div> Also just happened to capture a meteor and Mars!</div> <div> This was taken from Prince Albert, South Africa before dawn.</div> <div> The zodiacal light is caused by particles of dust from the tails of comets.</div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> <B><U>Comet Hale-Bopp (1997)</U></B></div> <bR> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="1bd0e000.jpg" border=0 width="526" height="768" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <bR> <div> 01.03.97</div> <div> 135mm F2.8 lens; 1600 Fuji Provia; 60s exposure</div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="1be00b10.jpg" border=0 width="1024" height="689" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <bR> <div> <B>06.03.97   </B><FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#FFCC33" FACE="Trebuchet MS" >pre-dawn sky</FONT></div> <div> Comet Hale-Bopp</div> <div> The pseudo nucleus was about mag. 1.3 (equal to Deneb) but its integrated magnitude rivalled Vega.</div> <div> The dust tail was about 2 degrees long and the fainter ion tail, 5 degrees by naked-eye.</div> <div> 28mm F2.5 lens on ancient Praktica Camera;  1600 ASA  Fuji Provia; approx. 1min  exposure</div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="1bf000e0.jpg" border=0 width="768" height="526" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <bR> <div> 06.03.97</div> <div> 135mm F2.8 lens; 1600 ASA Fuji Provia; 2 mins exposure</div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="1c0c9f50.jpg" border=0 width="713" height="1013" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <bR> <div> 20.03.97</div> <div> 28mm F2.5 lens; 1600 ASA Fuji Provia; 1 min</div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="1c1c9f50.jpg" border=0 width="713" height="1013" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <bR> <div> 20.03.97</div> <div> 28mm F2.5 lens; 1600 ASA Fuji Provia; 1 min</div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="1c26eff0.jpg" border=0 width="622" height="511" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <bR> <div> 20.03.97</div> <div> 0.5m Newtonian at prime focus; 1600 ASA Fuji Provia approx. 10s exposure</div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="1c310eb0.jpg" border=0 width="528" height="747" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <bR> <div> 20.03.97</div> <div> 135mm F2.8 lens; 1600 Fuji Provia; 90s exposure</div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="1c4190a0.jpg" border=0 width="537" height="778" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="1cd1e010.jpg" border=0 width="542" height="769" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <bR> <div> 03.04.97</div> <div> 58mm F2 lens; 1600 ASA Fuji Provia; 40s exposure (two versions)</div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="1c60a140.jpg" border=0 width="778" height="532" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <bR> <div> 07.04.97</div> <div> 58mm F2 lens; 1600 Fuji Provia; 30s exposure</div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="1c790130.jpg" border=0 width="656" height="531" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <bR> <div> 07.04.97</div> <div> 58mm F2 lens; 1600 Fuji Provia; 30s exposure</div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="1c81e050.jpg" border=0 width="542" height="773" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <bR> <div> 10.04.97</div> <div> 58mm F2 lens; 1600 ASA Fuji Provia; 12s exposure</div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> Here are some scans of drawings and notes made in my log book, most made</div> <div> using my 49cm F4.6 Newtonian reflector, some with my trusty old 10x50</div> <div> binoculars:-</div> <bR> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="18926ef0.jpg" border=0 width="550" height="751" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <bR> <div> <B><U><IMG SRC="18a34200.jpg" border=0 width="564" height="800" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></U></B></div> <bR> <div> <B><U><IMG SRC="18b43b60.jpg" border=0 width="579" height="694" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></U></B></div> <bR> <div> <B><U><IMG SRC="18c4f430.jpg" border=0 width="591" height="579" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></U></B></div> <bR> <bR> <div> <B><U><IMG SRC="18d2c0d0.jpg" border=0 width="556" height="525" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></U></B></div> <bR> <bR> <div> <B><U><IMG SRC="18e40fc0.jpg" border=0 width="576" height="764" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></U></B></div> <bR> <bR> <div> <B><U><IMG SRC="18f06fe0.jpg" border=0 width="518" height="510" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></U></B></div> <bR> <bR> <div> <B><U><IMG SRC="1903d0f0.jpg" border=0 width="573" height="783" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></U></B> <FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#FFCC33" FACE="Trebuchet MS" >17.3.97</FONT></div> <bR> <bR> <div> <B><U><IMG SRC="1910d580.jpg" border=0 width="525" height="344" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></U></B><FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#FFCC33" FACE="Trebuchet MS" >  20.3.97</FONT></div> <bR> <bR> <div> <B><U><IMG SRC="1932f650.jpg" border=0 width="559" height="613" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></U></B></div> <bR> <bR> <div> <B><U><IMG SRC="19435b40.jpg" border=0 width="565" height="436" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></U></B></div> <bR> <bR> <div> <B><U><IMG SRC="1953d180.jpg" border=0 width="573" height="792" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></U></B></div> <bR> <bR> <div> <B><U><IMG SRC="196320b0.jpg" border=0 width="562" height="523" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></U></B></div> <bR> <bR> <div> <B><U><IMG SRC="1973fd30.jpg" border=0 width="575" height="723" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></U></B></div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> <B><U><IMG SRC="19822880.jpg" border=0 width="546" height="392" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></U></B></div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> <B><U><IMG SRC="19928a00.jpg" border=0 width="552" height="416" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></U></B></div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> <B><U>Comet Hyakutake (1996)</U></B></div> <div>         </div> <div> <IMG SRC="17262f30.jpg" border=0 width="354" height="243" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <bR> <div> 27th March 1996 SX mono CCD 58mm F2 lens</div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="17692c40.jpg" border=0 width="402" height="452" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <bR> <div> 27th March 1996  03:50 U.T.  Drawing made of naked-eye</div> <div> view with 25 degree ion tail stretching from near Polaris to</div> <div> the 'bowl' of The Great Bear! What a sight!</div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="1753e910.jpg" border=0 width="574" height="401" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <bR> <div> 27th March 1996  04:40 UT Photo taken rather too late into twilight!</div> <bR> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="1c90a240.jpg" border=0 width="778" height="548" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> <B>27.03.96   </B><FONT SIZE="2" COLOR="#FFCC33" FACE="Trebuchet MS" >04:40 UTC  (too late into twilight!)</FONT></div> <div> Comet Hyakutake</div> <div> The pseudo nucleus was about mag. 3 and the tail stretcvhed visually from near Polaris to almost the bowl of</div> <div> the Great Bear (25 degrees: corresponding to 7,000,000 km with the comet only 15,000,000 above our North Pole)</div> <div> 28mm Lens on ancient Praktica Camera; 400 ASA  Ektachrome; approx. 30s exposure</div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> <B><U><IMG SRC="1a8629a0.jpg" border=0 width="610" height="410" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></U></B></div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> 10th April 1996</div> <bR> <div> 58mm @ F2; 400 Fuji Provia; 2 mins.</div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="1ab201c0.jpg" border=0 width="800" height="540" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <bR> <div> 17th April 1996</div> <bR> <div> 210mm @ F4; 400 Fuji Provia film; 3 min exposure.</div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="1ca0a200.jpg" border=0 width="778" height="544" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="1cb0a200.jpg" border=0 width="778" height="544" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <bR> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="1cc0a210.jpg" border=0 width="778" height="545" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div> <B>17.04.96</B></div> <div> Comet Hyakutake with naked-eye 4 degree tail</div> <div> 58mm lens @F2 on ancient Praktica Camera; 400 ASA  Fuji Provia colour reversal film; </div> <div> approx. 3 mins exposure piggy-backed on 0.5m Newtonian</div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>