It was about 7 pm local time in Iowa. The temperature was 11˚F (-12˚C). The sky was clear. I scanned the star fields with binoculars to the right of Orion where the chart said to look. There it was. My telescope gathered more light and gave a much better view. It was a pale blue-green fuzzy patch as expected.
It was really cold. My fingers were getting numb. In a hurry, I set up the camera to take several time exposures. Not being able to see the comet in the viewfinder, I guessed that I was pointed at it. I came indoors and checked the memory card. No comet! Darn! I was pointed wrong. I went back out and tried again. This time the comet was in the frame and easily seen.
Time to thaw out under one of Melanie’s quilts and have some rum or scotch. I’m happy.
Comet…
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I don’t own a telescope, so have to enjoy stuff like this vicariously. On Facebook, one of my “friends” shared this and I immediately thought you would like to see it.
I love it. People with bigger scopes and attached cameras are getting some beautiful pictures like this. I’d have to spend thousands…tens of thousands.
Here is a link to many other images updated daily.
http://spaceweathergallery.com/index.php?title=lovejoy
Thanks for thinking of me and sharing that shot.
Those are some great images. Mary Beth thinks that I have spent a fortune on my equipment. Those astrophotography guys leave us nature photographers in their stardust.