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Comets
Comet Observing Program
Comet Observing Program
See the Slooh Scope Information tab above or click here for more information on Slooh locations, other scopes, presets, and weather/sky condition descriptions. In all images below North is Up and East is to the Left.
The RA/Dec information below is J2000 and are the Goto coordinates, not that of the comet in the image.
Silver Level first Silver Certificate #: 121
Gold level comets are about 1/2 way down the page.
#1
Name: C/2011 L4 PANSTARRS
Date: 3/13/2013
Time: 8:03 PM CDT
Location: Weldon Spring DOD Mound
Seeing: 7/10
Transparency: 6/10 and windy
Camera: 200mm fl lens on a Canon XT camera
Exposure single image, ISO 800, 1 second @f/5.6
The wind was very strong gusting to over 30 miles/hour. There were at least 50 people observing from the location because it give the best view for miles around.
#2
Name: C/2020 F3 (Neowise)
Date: 7/23/2020
Time: 9:51 p.m. CDT
Location: Brommelsiek Park
Seeing: 8/10
Transparency: 6/10 and windy
Camera: Canon T7i with a Canon 75-300mm zoom @ 75mm
Exposure: single image, 10 sec., F/5.6, ISO 1600
Histogram adjustments and sharpening in Canon's Digital Photo Pro
Humid, no breeze, kind of miserable if you moved at all. Clouds spoiled the Neowise view for some of the time. The camera was mounted on my 12" SynScan goto dob. A goto centered the comet and I manually offset the comet lower in the frame for better display. There were over two hundred people at the park looking at the comet. With all the outreach going on it was difficult to find time to make the exposure(s).
So at the rate I was going accomplishing the twelve needed for the Silver level of the Comet Observing Program was going to take about seventy-two more years.
I wasn't too interested in comets anyway so I probably missed some chances, but I wasn't too excited about heading an hour out to the country just for them.
After subscribing to Slooh for a few weeks (June 2021) I noticed a few people imaging comets and thought I'd give it a try. I had no clue about the delay needed between images for various Slooh telescope/comet field of views so I guessed a day...much too large, I guessed a FOV 16x12 arcminutes...much too small, I guessed way to much. My primary focus at the time was the AL's Open Cluster Program from the Canary Islands. Rather than put that off I decided to experiment with comets only after the night's imaging was done in the Canary Islands and when there was poor weather that prevented imaging.
The results of my experiments are what is presented below.
I used PhotoShop to align the two images using level difference, saved the two layers as separate images, and an online animated gif creator (https://ezgif.com/) to combine the images.
I'm pretty happy with the results.
#3
Name: C/2017 K2 (PANSTARRS)
Date(s): 7/10/2021 & 7/11/2021
Time: 03:02:00 UT & 3:02:00 UT
Telescope: Canary Three
Sky Conditions: 3/5
Visual magnitude: 12.9
Right ascension 17h 25.0m
Declination 41° 41'
Constellation Hercules
Distance from Earth 5.466 AU
I put marks to indicate the positions but I don't particularly like them jumping around.
#4
Name: 7P/Pons-Winnecke
Date(s): 7/10/2021
10:13:00 UT & 10:18:00 UT
Telescope: Chile Two
Sky Conditions: 3/5
Visual magnitude: 10.3
Right ascension 23h 41.5m
Declination -37° 25'
Constellation Sculptor
Distance from Earth 0.496 AU
#5
Name: C/2020 J1 (SONEAR)
Date(s): 7/14/2021
Time: 00:00:00 UT & 00:21:00 UT
Telescope: Chile Two
Sky Conditions: 4/5
Visual magnitude: 15.2
Right ascension 13h 48.1m
Declination -10° 27'
Constellation Virgo
Distance from Earth 3.171 AU
Look about 5 o'clock from the star in the center of the field.
#6
Name: C/2020 T2 Palomar
Date(s): 7/14/2021
Time: 00:06:00 UT & 00:47:00 UT
Telescope: Chile Two
Sky Conditions: 4/5
Visual magnitude: 9.6
Right ascension 14h 3.7m
Declination 4° 4'
Constellation Virgo
Distance from Earth 1.690 AU
#7
Name: 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko
Date(s): 7/14/2021
Time: 7:25:00 UT & 8:01:00 UT
Telescope: Chile Two
Sky Conditions: 4/5
Visual magnitude: 14.4
Right ascension 0h 57.1m
Declination 1° 22'
Constellation Cetus
Distance from Earth 1.327 AU
Look at 3 o'clock from the bright star just above the center of the picure
#8
Name: 15P Finlay
Date(s): 7/15/2021
Time: 04:15:00 UT 05:15:00 UT
Telescope: Canary Three
Sky Conditions: 3/5
Visual magnitude: 12.3
Right ascension 3h 3.9m
Declination 14° 52'
Constellation Aries
Distance from Earth 1.125 AU
#9
Name: C/2019 F1 ATLAS-Africano
Date(s): 7/16/2021
Time: 02:00 UT & 03:05 UT
Telescope: Chile Two
Sky Conditions: 3/5
Visual magnitude: 13.5
Right ascension 0h 16.9m
Declination -86° 30'
Constellation Octans
Distance from Earth 3.087 AU
Look at 10 o'clock from the wide spaced double that is just above the center of the picture. There's a smudge on the sensor just to the left of the comet on one of the images.
#10
Name: 4P Faye
Date: 7/16/2021
Times: 04:20 UT & 04:40 UT
Telescope: Canary Three
Sky Conditions: 4/5
Visual magnitude: 12.7
Right ascension 2h 39.6m
Declination 16° 12'
Constellation Aries
Distance from Earth 1.746 AU
Almost in the center of the picture.
#11
Name: C/2020 F5 MASTER
Date: 07/16/2021
Times: 02:05 UT & 03:05 UT
Telescope: Canary Three
Sky Conditions: 4/5
Visual magnirude: 14.5
Right ascension 23h 38.9m
Declination -34° 13'
Constellation Sculptor
Distance from Earth 3.744 AU
Look to the left of the top of the streak.
#12
Name: 10P Tempel 2
Date: 7/17/2021
Times: 04:00 UT & 04:45 UT
Telescope: Canary Three
Sky Conditions: 3/5
Visual magnitude: 13.6
Right ascension 3h 33.1m
Declination 8° 13'
Constellation Taurus
Distance from Earth 2.065 AU
Look between the two pairs of double stars in the center of the image.
Gold Level next:
The hand cropped images below are of various unknown field sizes and should be taken for viewing purposes only.
Number: 13
Name: 152P Helin-Lawrence
Date(s) 8/3/2021
Time: 21:45 UT & 22:15 UT
Telescope: Canary One
Sky Conditions: 4/5
Visual magnitude: 18?
Right ascension: 13h 45m
Declination: -3d 20m
Constellation: Virgo
Distance from Earth: 3.34 AU
Over on the left side below a double (below the top of the 3 stars in a diagonal line).
Number: 14
Name: 29P Schwasserman-Wachmann 1
Date(s) 8/26/2021
Time: 04:15 UT & 04:45 UT
Telescope: Canary Two
Sky Conditions: 4/5
Visual magnitude: 10.8
Right ascension: 4h 38.5m
Declination: 30° 22'
Constellation: Auriga
Distance from Earth: 6.317 AU
Look about 10 o'clock from the bright star that's above the center of the frame.
Center of the field
Center of the field
Number: 15
Name: C/2020 K1 PANSTARRS
Date(s) 8/27/2021 & 8/28/2021
Time: 23:50 UT & 00:20 UT
Telescope: Canary Two
Sky Conditions: 3/5
Visual magnitude: 16
Right ascension: 17h 27m 36s
Declination: 37d 34m 45s
Constellation: Hercules
Distance from Earth: 6.16 AU
Number: 16
Name: 408P NOVICHONOK-GERKE
Date(s) 9/29/2021
Time: 22:45 UT & 23:25 UT
Telescope: Canary Two
Sky Conditions: 3/5
Visual magnitude: 18?
Right ascension: 23h 30m 36s
Declination: 2d 51m 36s
Constellation: Pices
Distance from Earth: 3.26 AU
There's a very fuzzy patch in the center of the image that moves up and to the right when blinking.
Number: 17
Name: 8P Tuttle
Date(s) 10/20/2021
Time: 08:20 UT & 08:40 UT
Telescope: Chile Two
Sky Conditions: 3/5
Visual magnitude: 9.5
Right ascension: 11h 45.6m
Declination: -34° 10'
Constellation: Hydra
Distance from Earth: 1.980 AU
Look below the star in the center of the frame.
Number: 18
Name: C/2019 L3 ATLAS
Date(s) 10/21/2021
Time: 03:15 UT & 04:15 UT
Telescope: Canary One
Sky Conditions: 3/5
Visual magnitude: 10.5
Right ascension: 7h 43.2m
Declination: 41° 26'
Constellation: Lynx
Distance from Earth: 3.372 AU
Number: 19
Name: 108P Ciffreo
Date(s) 10/21/2021
Time: 04:25 UT & 05:05 UT
Telescope: Canary Three
Sky Conditions: 3/5
Visual magnitude: 15.6
Right ascension: 6h 52.7m
Declination: 28° 3'
Constellation: Gemini
Distance from Earth: 1.142 AU
It is below the vertical line in the center of the fra
Number: 20
Name: C/2021 A1 Leonard
Date(s) 10/21/2021
Time: 05:15 UT & 06:15 UT
Telescope: Canary One
Sky Conditions: 3/5
Visual magnitude: 12.3
Right ascension: 11h 38.3m
Declination: 35° 46'
Constellation: Ursa Major
Distance from Earth: 1.896 AU
Number: 21
Name: 19P Borrelly
Date(s) 10/24/2021
Time: 04:05 UT & 05:05 UT
Telescope: Chile One
Sky Conditions: 3/5
Visual magnitude: 11.7
Right ascension: 23h 5.5m
Declination: -54° 35'
Constellation: Grus
Distance from Earth: 1.201 AU
Number: 22
Name: 57P du Toit-Neujmin-Delporte
Date(s) 10/25/2021
Time: 00:45 UT & 01:45 UT
Telescope: Chile One
Sky Conditions: 3/5
Visual magnitude: 11.7
Right ascension: 18h 28.0m
Declination: -21° 1'
Constellation: Sagittarius
Distance from Earth: 1.887 AU
Number: 23
Name: 6P d'Arrest
Date(s) 10/25/2021
Time: 00:55 UT 02:05 UT
Telescope: Chile One
Sky Conditions: 3/5
Visual magnitude: 11.9
Right ascension: 20h 17.2m
Declination: -31° 43'
Constellation: Sagittarius
Distance from Earth: 1.053 AU
On top of the line
On top of the line
Number: 24
Name: C/2021 Q5 ATLAS
Date(s) 10/25/2021
Time: 07:35 UT & 08:10 UT
Telescope: Chile Two
Sky Conditions: 3/5
Visual magnitude: 14.6
Right ascension: 9.77808
Declination: 5.58194
Constellation: Sextans
Distance from Earth: 1.50 AU
Number: 25
Name: C/2019 T4 ATLAS
Date(s) 10/26/2021
Time: 08:15 UT & 08:45 UT
Telescope: Chile One
Sky Conditions: 3/5
Visual magnitude: 13.8
Right ascension: 11h 9.2m
Declination: -25° 39'
Constellation: Hydra
Distance from Earth: 5.315 AU
Just to the right and below center.
Number: 26
Name: 132P Helin-Roman-Alu - 1
Date(s) 10/27/2021
Time: 03:40 UT & 04:10 UT
Telescope: Canary Three
Sky Conditions: 3/5
Visual magnitude: 15.8
Right ascension: 15h 1.2m
Declination: -16° 15'
Constellation: Libra
Distance from Earth: 4.235 AU
Look in the upper left corner
Below the line
Below the line
Number: 27
Name: 104P Kowal 2
Date(s) 10/28/2021
Time: 01:00 UT & 02:00 UT
Telescope: Chile Two
Sky Conditions: 4/5
Visual magnitude: 15.4
Right ascension: 21h45m34s
Declination: -09°09'55"
Constellation: Capricornus
Distance from Earth: 0.767 AU
On top of the line
On top of the line
(Try to ignore the flashing hot pixel.)
Number: 28
Name: C/2020 U5 PANSTARRS
Date(s) 10/28/2021
Time: 05:00 UT & 06:00 UT
Telescope: Canary Three
Sky Conditions: 4/5
Visual magnitude: 17.1
Right ascension: 09 23 17.0
Declination: +62 48 19
Constellation: Canis Major
Distance from Earth: 3.39 AU
On top of the line
On top of the line
Number: 29
Name: 106P Schuster
Date(s) 10/30/2021
Time: 04:00 UT & 05:00 UT
Telescope: Canary One
Sky Conditions: 4/5
Visual magnitude: 16
Right ascension: 8h 30.8m
Declination: 35° 1'
Constellation: Lynx
Distance from Earth: 1.304 AU
On top of the line
On top of the line
Number: 30
Name: C/2021 P4 ATLAS
Date(s) 10/30/2021
Time: 01:20 UT & 03:00 UT
Telescope: Canary One
Sky Conditions: 4/5
Visual magnitude: 17.3
Right ascension: 23h 5.7m
Declination: 62° 5'
Constellation: Cepheus
Distance from Earth: 3.226 AU
On top of the line
On top of the line
Number: 31
Name: C/2020 U4 (PANSTARRS)
Date(s) 10/31/2021
Time: 23:15 UT & 23:35 UT
Telescope: Canary One
Sky Conditions: 4/5
Visual magnitude: 17.7
Right ascension: 4h 38.5m
Declination: 34 30
Constellation: Auriga
Distance from Earth: 4.67 AU
Look to the left of center.
Look to the left of center.
Number: 32
Name: P2021 N2 Fuls
Date(s) 10/31/2021
Time: 23:05 UT & 23:55 UT
Telescope: Canary One
Sky Conditions: 4/5
Visual magnitude: 17.5
Right ascension: 2h 14m 52s
Declination: 15 06' 58"
Constellation: Aries
Distance from Earth: 2.805 AU
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