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Nightfly
super member
Reged: 06/20/07
Posts: 199
Loc: Sullivan, Maine
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Here is an image of Comet Holmes taken on the evening of November 12th. The photo is cropped approx 50%. It has thinned out over the past few weeks. As such it's much harder to overexpose on film.
Jim
Specs:
8" Meade 2080 SCT @ f/6.3
10 minute exposure 6:18 to 6:28 PM EST
Kodak E200
manually guided
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Jim Cormier
Sullivan, Maine, USA
www.nightfly.zoomshare.com
Pentax 67 with 55, 105, 165, and 300mm lenses
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06Honda
member
Reged: 07/16/07
Posts: 116
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Lovely image, yes it looks fainter recently in my bino's.
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novbabies
Postmaster
Reged: 06/05/05
Posts: 15678
Loc: Northern Georgia!
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Beautiful photograph  !!
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Good Seeing!
Mark
Orion 12" XTi f/4.9
VERY old Edmund 6" f/8 reflector
Assorted binoculars
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Hambone
sage
Reged: 10/10/05
Posts: 442
Loc: Martin, TN
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Great shot, you did a good job of capturing it.
I have viewed it every night that it has been viewable and have watched its evolution over the past few weeks and it has been remarkable!
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8" Sky View Pro
60MM Meade (used very little now)
Golden Pond Kentucky
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jgraham
Postmaster
Reged: 12/02/04
Posts: 5367
Loc: Dayton, Ohio
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Wow, that's very nice!
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-John
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Homebuilt scopes from 4.25-16.5"
Meade LXD75-N6/SN6/SC8, DSX-90, ETX-60BB, ETX-125PE, DS-2130
Orion StarBlast, BinoViewers, Coronado PST
Rebel XT/XTi, DSI Pro (I & II), DSI, LPI, Electronic Eyepiece, Phillips SPC900NC
Tasco 60mm Refractors
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ClownFish
Post Laureate
Reged: 04/26/05
Posts: 5600
Loc: Islamabad, Pakistan
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Yes, wow is in order! Look at those star colors too.
Very nice!
CF
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Learn all about POLAR ALIGNMENT with my Drift Method Tutorial and simulator!! Or visit my Foreign Service Blog!
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novbabies
Postmaster
Reged: 06/05/05
Posts: 15678
Loc: Northern Georgia!
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4:04 - 4:14 AM EST 11-23-07, Athens GA: Venus is just rising, brilliant actinic point, in the East. As I move to locate Comet Holmes, it looks lovely through the copse of trees on the rille behind my apartment. Holmes now is interfered with by apartment rooftops, and so I go farther away from the building to catch a glimpse of the comet beyond.
Temperature in the low 40s – very crisp and fall-like, beautiful scents of nature alive on the 5-7 mph light breeze. The sky is very clear and transparent – that is, where onrushing clouds aren’t. And while Mars blazes almost directly overhead, the clouds approaching from the West have obscured a goodly amount below about 45° altitude, and are raggedy but closely packed up to almost the zenith. There are a few “rifts”.
Experience and familiarity with the orientation of Comet Holmes, Melotte 20, and the apartment buildings allows me to scan close enough to the area that when a hole slides by, I can catch MIrfak and the duo 29 & 31 Persei. The light pollution cast like an opalescent net across the area keeps Holmes invisible – even in the 7x35 binoculars – because the clear spaces between clouds simply will not cooperate.
I wait. And keep watching. And notice that a vast thick shield of cloud is coming, and that I am running out of time.
There are two rifts left before total skycover. The first does allow me to finally glimpse Holmes, surprisingly dim (perhaps not, due to the Moon’s LP), riding the lower edge of a vaporpuff. Very unfulfilling…except at least I note it has changed orientation from last night with respect to 29 & 31 Persei.
Last chance….the area continues to skirt cloud – and then it BREAKS INTO A CLEARING  !!!
This clearing gives me a 20-second window into the life of Comet Holmes. Now a bit more obvious, yet still mightily affected by the Moonglow, it floats serenely among the northeastern stars of Melotte 20, just about due East of Mirfak, but janglingly disjointedly in relation to 29 & 31 Persei...
Waiting, watching, anticipating, hoping – Patience once again is rewarded.
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Good Seeing!
Mark
Orion 12" XTi f/4.9
VERY old Edmund 6" f/8 reflector
Assorted binoculars
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Nightfly
super member
Reged: 06/20/07
Posts: 199
Loc: Sullivan, Maine
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Thanks for the kind remarks. At almost twenty-five years old the old 2080 still does a good job. Being an SCT I had to drop out the outer 50% due to coma and field curvature. I believe this is the last comet Holmes image I will take. Perhaps. Thanks again.
Jim
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Jim Cormier
Sullivan, Maine, USA
www.nightfly.zoomshare.com
Pentax 67 with 55, 105, 165, and 300mm lenses
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tommyhawk13
sage
Reged: 09/28/07
Posts: 492
Loc: Jacksonville, Fl
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Jim, I was browsing your webpage, and you have excellent images!
I have a prime focus noob question. Are you pushing your E200? At f/6.3, I didn't think 20 minutes was enough time.
In any case, they are inspiring.
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Meade Starfinder 8,Meade SN-8 OTA, Orion Atlas, and a handfull of film cameras
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ClownFish
Post Laureate
Reged: 04/26/05
Posts: 5600
Loc: Islamabad, Pakistan
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Yes, with E200 you can capture a lot in 20 minutes at f/6.
Certainly being at f/4 is faster, but E200 is a very good film emulsion.
Remember, ASA has no meaning after a minute or two of exposure.
Kodak E200 outperforms Kodak 800 after 10 minutes or less!
CF
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Learn all about POLAR ALIGNMENT with my Drift Method Tutorial and simulator!! Or visit my Foreign Service Blog!
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jrw11
professor emeritus
Reged: 06/09/07
Posts: 501
Loc: U.S.A.
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would kodak e200 be better than for under 10 minute exposures than fujia 400 Sensia?
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Celestron C6n -HD Reflector
dual axis drive motors added
Orion 80mm Short tube refractor
Skyscout
Early 70's Pentax 7x50
Garrett Optical 12x60
Garrett Optical 15x70
Oberwerk 20x80 Standards
Canon Rebel Ti (film)
4 Minolta Srt cameras
Mamiya RB67 Pro-s with 180 lens
127mm KL lens for RB, Bellows hood for RB67
120 and 220 film backs
Cambo SCII 4x5 view camera
over 50 other film cameras
several eyepieces
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ClownFish
Post Laureate
Reged: 04/26/05
Posts: 5600
Loc: Islamabad, Pakistan
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Depends on the subject. For Ha objects, it may well capture more.
CF
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Learn all about POLAR ALIGNMENT with my Drift Method Tutorial and simulator!! Or visit my Foreign Service Blog!
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jrw11
professor emeritus
Reged: 06/09/07
Posts: 501
Loc: U.S.A.
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Thanks Clownfish! Next time Kodak E200!
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Celestron C6n -HD Reflector
dual axis drive motors added
Orion 80mm Short tube refractor
Skyscout
Early 70's Pentax 7x50
Garrett Optical 12x60
Garrett Optical 15x70
Oberwerk 20x80 Standards
Canon Rebel Ti (film)
4 Minolta Srt cameras
Mamiya RB67 Pro-s with 180 lens
127mm KL lens for RB, Bellows hood for RB67
120 and 220 film backs
Cambo SCII 4x5 view camera
over 50 other film cameras
several eyepieces
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Nightfly
super member
Reged: 06/20/07
Posts: 199
Loc: Sullivan, Maine
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Thanks Clownfish for reponding to the questions. I would prefer to shoot longer, but my drive is not the best and I need to play ping pong for twenty minutes at prime focus. The images taken at twenty minutes were not push processed. It takes extra work on the scanning and processing to dig the details out. You will use E200 and stay with it! Most use little else.
I am fortunate to have pristine skies. I can see mag 6.7 on most nights and mag 7 plus on some dozen night a year. This is a huge blessing on widefield work.
Cheers,
Jim
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Jim Cormier
Sullivan, Maine, USA
www.nightfly.zoomshare.com
Pentax 67 with 55, 105, 165, and 300mm lenses
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