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Location: A Very Naughtytown In Northwestern Montanifornia U.S.A.
1,088 posts, read 1,946,460 times
Reputation: 1986
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Tonight I took these photos with a Nikon D5100 with a 200 mm lens. I did not shoot the picture through an astronomical telescope, just my camera.
It was very bright and in the western sky.
Did I just get a photo of the comet that is currently passing us closer
than the moon we have heard about on the news or is it just something bright in the sky ?
I took several photographs of it at various settings and they look a bit different.
Can't wait until I get a nice Celestron 8" reflector tracking computerized telescope.
Location: A Very Naughtytown In Northwestern Montanifornia U.S.A.
1,088 posts, read 1,946,460 times
Reputation: 1986
Quote:
Originally Posted by TroutDude
I'm no astronomer but I'm guessing a planet. Many are visible at various times in the night sky.
It did not "twinkle" like stars do and was extremely bright. I was hoping that I may have accidentally got a photo of the comet that some folks are talking about. Thanks. ~♥~
I think you got a great picture of the comet that is passing with the Earth now:
"On Sunday, Comet Pan-STARRS will pass about 28 million miles (45 million km) from the sun during its close approach. The comet made its closest pass with the Earth on Tuesday (March 5) when it flew by at about 102 million miles (164 million km) from the planet.
"It will appear in the west at sunset, from around the 8th to the 13th of March 2013, and will be visible to the naked eye up to the end of the month: Comet Pan-STARRS C/2011 L4 will traverse Cetus, Pisces, Pegasus and Andromeda. The comet entered the Northern Hemisphere's evening sky after months of being visible from the Southern Hemisphere. " http://www.space.com/20091-comet-pan...zing-tips.html
I think you got a great picture of the comet that is passing with the Earth now:
"On Sunday, Comet Pan-STARRS will pass about 28 million miles (45 million km) from the sun during its close approach. The comet made its closest pass with the Earth on Tuesday (March 5) when it flew by at about 102 million miles (164 million km) from the planet.
"It will appear in the west at sunset, from around the 8th to the 13th of March 2013, and will be visible to the naked eye up to the end of the month: Comet Pan-STARRS C/2011 L4 will traverse Cetus, Pisces, Pegasus and Andromeda. The comet entered the Northern Hemisphere's evening sky after months of being visible from the Southern Hemisphere. " How to See Bright Comet Pan-STARRS in Night Sky | Space.com
Going by his pictures I'd say no. It's too round, too late at night, not near the moon and too close to what looks to be Taurus. The op does live in mt though and the sky will be different. Op, look up current pictures of the comet and see if it matches what you saw. If you know constellations, what is it closets to? That will tell you right away. Taurus= Jupiter, Andromeda=comet.
More info: http://earthsky.org/space/comet-pans...-in-march-2013
"Last night lots of people in the north temperate latitudes finally began picking up the comet for the first time, but usually with binoculars, and only if they knew just where to look. Keep trying. It’s moving a little higher out of the bright depths of twilight every day now."
Location: A Very Naughtytown In Northwestern Montanifornia U.S.A.
1,088 posts, read 1,946,460 times
Reputation: 1986
Not sure but I'm tending to think that the object I took a photo of is Jupiter as another poster said. We will be lucky to get any real good astro-photographs even when we get a telescope due to the clouds.
It seems to be sunny in the morning and gets cloudy by the end of the day.
If it were the comet I think the tail would have shown up in the image.
We are planning to acquire a Celestron computerized 8 inch reflector telescope that can zoom via servo motors, on command to anything up there that is included in it's 40,000 celestial object database.
They say money can't buy ya love but we sure can love the stuff money can buy !
Yay for telescopes. I've got a Meade EXT 105 I bought when I was in high school. At the time digital cameras where thousands of dollars so I didn't buy the camera adapter. Now I'm wishing I had as I can't seem to find one. You have sparked my interest again and I think I'm off to search harder.
Location: A Very Naughtytown In Northwestern Montanifornia U.S.A.
1,088 posts, read 1,946,460 times
Reputation: 1986
I am getting more excited about getting a telescope now. I really want an 11 or 12 inch Celestron or a Meade but the price of an 8 inch is doable for us.
I haven't told my wife yet that I also want a small climate controlled "Observatory" to house and use the telescope.
I'm thinking I have to "kiss up" a bit before I hit her with that one !!!
I haven't told my wife yet that I also want a small climate controlled "Observatory" to house and use the telescope.
I'm thinking I have to "kiss up" a bit before I hit her with that one !!!
I'd image stargazing in Montana in the middle of winter could be just a wee bit chilly. When I was in HS we took a trip to yellowstone and glacier. I totally dragged my (what seemed like)30lb telescope across the county to be able to use it out there. So amazing.
Last night I went up to the highest point around here to see if I could see the comet. It is visible but you have to know what you are looking for so I'm positive it wasn't what you saw. It was much colder than I had planned and I'm still getting over walking pneumonia so I didn't get any good pictures. I might try and go to the blue ridge parkway this weekend and try again. They say in Nov. there will be a comet passing that has the potential to be as bright as the moon. So fingers crossed!
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When I was in HS we took a trip to yellowstone and glacier. I totally dragged my (what seemed like)30lb telescope across the county to be able to use it out there. So amazing. 
