Comet Panstarrs K1
Faint comet in Hydra
September 29, 2014

 
 This
            binocular brightness comet is currently very low in the morning
            sky, just before sunup in Hydra just below the "head".
            Now at magnitude 7, it can be easily seen as a glowing patch
            with just a hint of dust tail in the 11x80s and is a rewarding
            sight in images with the 12.5" astrograph. This comet is
            coming in and will brighten, but get even lower and then head
            south for the southern hemisphere. Here the comet was so low
            in the morning twilight that only half the telescope aperture
            could get the comet over the observatory wall. Not the best conditions,
            but it did record as a splendid object. I spent most of the time
            dodging morning monsoon clouds for this shot, barely getting
            in 15 minutes total on it.

            

This 3/4 degree wide field show the comet
stunning cyan coloration in the head, a decidedly
yellow dust tail to the upper left, and a faint hint
of a blue gas tail pointing to the right.

Select an image size for a larger view:

1290 x 960
            



Lens:  12.5" f/5 Home bult Newtonian
Platform:  Astrophysics AP1200 
Exposure:  15m LRGB
Location:  Payson, Arizona
Elevation:  5150 ft.
Sky:  Seeing  7/10, Transparency 8/10
Outside Temperature:  50F
Processing Tools:  Maxim DL, Photoshop CS2
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