Comets
Comet C/2022 E2 in Cancer
Tech Specs: Orion 8” RC Telescope, ZWO ASI2600MC camera running at -10F, 60 x 60 seconds, Celestron CGEM-DX pier mounted, ZWO EAF and ASIAir Pro, processed in DSS and PixInsight. Image Date: January 31, 2024. Location: The Dark Side Observatory (W59), Weatherly, PA, USA (Bortle Class 4).
Movement of Comet 103P/Hartley in Gemini
Tech Specs: Sky-Watcher Esprit 120ED Telescope, ZWO ASI2600MC camera, Sky-Watcher EQ6R-Pro pier mounted, ZWO EAF and ASIAir Pro, 60 X 60 seconds at 0F. Processed using Tycho Tracker software. Image Date: October 12, 2023. Location: The Dark Side Observatory (W59), Weatherly, PA, USA (Bortle Class 4).
Comet 12P/Pons-Brooks Observation Observation - December 8, 2023
Tech Specs: Sky-Watcher Esprit 120ED Telescope, ZWO ASI2600MC camera running at -10F, 60 x 60 seconds, Sky-Watcher EQ6R-Pro pier mounted, ZWO EAF and ASIAir Pro, processed in Tycho Tracker and DSS/PixInisght software. Image Date: December 8, 2023. Location: The Dark Side Observatory (W59), Weatherly, PA, USA (Bortle Class 4).
Comet C/2022 E2 Time Lapse Video
Tech Specs: Orion 8” RC Telescope, ZWO ASI2600MC camera running at -10F, 60 x 60 seconds, Celestron CGEM-DX pier mounted, ZWO EAF and ASIAir Pro, processed in Tycho Tracker software and recorded with OBS. Image Date: January 31, 2024. Location: The Dark Side Observatory (W59), Weatherly, PA, USA (Bortle Class 4).
Outburst of Comet 12P/Pons-Brooks
Tech Specs: Sky-Watcher Esprit 120ED Telescope, ZWO ASI2600MC camera running at 0F, 23x60 seconds guided exposures, Sky-Watcher EQ6R-Pro pier mounted, ZWO EAF and ASIAir Pro, processed Tycho Tracker. Image Date: July 23, 2023. Location: The Dark Side Observatory (W59), Weatherly, PA, USA (Bortle Class 4).
Comet 12P/Pons-Brooks Observation
Tech Specs: Sky-Watcher Esprit 120ED Telescope, ZWO ASI2600MC camera running at 0F, 51x60 seconds guided exposures, Sky-Watcher EQ6R-Pro pier mounted, ZWO EAF and ASIAir Pro, processed Tycho Tracker. Image Date: July 30, 2023. Location: The Dark Side Observatory (W59), Weatherly, PA, USA (Bortle Class 4).
Comet 103P/Hartley and the Eskimo Nebula
Tech Specs: Sky-Watcher Esprit 120ED Telescope, ZWO ASI2600MC camera, Sky-Watcher EQ6R-Pro pier mounted, ZWO EAF and ASIAir Pro, 60 X 60 seconds at 0F. Processed in DSS and PixInsight. Image Date: October 12, 2023. Location: The Dark Side Observatory (W59), Weatherly, PA, USA (Bortle Class 4).
Comet C/2022 E3 ZTF Observation
Tech Specs: Sky-Watcher Esprit 120ED Telescope, ZWO AS2600mc-Pro running at -10C, Celestron CGEM-DX mount, ZWO EAF, ZWO ASIAir Pro, 48 x 60 seconds. Processed using DeepSkyStacker and PixInsight. Image Date: February 1, 2023. Location: The Dark Side Observatory (W59), Weatherly, PA, USA (Bortle Class 4).
Comet C/2022 E3 ZTF Observation Video
Tech Specs: Sky-Watcher Esprit 120ED Telescope, ZWO AS2600mc-Pro running at -10C, Celestron CGEM-DX mount, ZWO EAF, ZWO ASIAir Pro, 60 x 60 seconds. Processed using Tycho v9.3.7. Image Date: February 1, 2023. Location: The Dark Side Observatory (W59), Weatherly, PA, USA (Bortle Class 4).
Comet C/2020 R7 (ATLAS) Observation
Tech Specs: Sky-Watcher Esprit 120ED Telescope, ZWO ASI2600MC camera running at 0F, 30x60 seconds guided exposures, Sky-Watcher EQ6R-Pro pier mounted, ZWO EAF and ASIAir Pro, processed in DSS, PixInsight and Tycho Tracker. Image Date: July 6, 2023. Location: The Dark Side Observatory (W59), Weatherly, PA, USA (Bortle Class 4).
Comet 119P/Parker-Hartley Observation
Tech Specs: Sky-Watcher Esprit 120ED Telescope, ZWO AS2600mc-Pro running at -10C, Celestron CGEM-DX mount, 40 x 60 second guided exposures, focused with a ZWO EAF, controlled with a ZWO ASIAir Pro. Processed using Tycho. Image Date: January 16, 2023. Location: The Dark Side Observatory (W59), Weatherly, PA, USA (Bortle Class 4).
Comet 29P/Schwassmann-Wachmann 1 Observation
Tech Specs: Orion 8" f/8 Ritchey-Chretien Astrograph Telescope, Celestron CGEM-DX pier mounted, ASI071MC-Pro, ZWO AAPlus, ZWO EAF, 60 x 60 seconds at -10C, processed using Tycho. Image Date: January 16, 2023. Location: The Dark Side Observatory (W95), Weatherly, PA, USA (Bortle Class 4).
Comet C/2022 E3 ZTF Through Clouds
Tech Specs: Sky-Watcher Esprit 120ED Telescope, ZWO AS2600mc-Pro running at -10C, Celestron CGEM-DX mount, ZWO EAF, ZWO ASIAir Pro, 60 x 60 seconds. Processed using Tycho v9.3.7. Image Date: January 29, 2023. Location: The Dark Side Observatory (W59), Weatherly, PA, USA (Bortle Class 4).
Comet C/2021 Y1 (ATLAS)
Tech Specs: Meade 12” LX-90, Antares Focal Reducer, ZWO AS071 running at -10C, Celestron CGEM-DX mount, ZWO ASIAir Plus, ZWO EAF, 60 x 60 second exposures, darks from the library and flats after the imaging session, DeepSkyStacker and Tycho Tracker. Image Date: December 14, 2022. Location: The Dark Side Observatory (W59), Weatherly, PA, USA (Bortle Class 4).
Comet 29P/Schwassmann-Wachmann
Tech Specs: Meade 12” LX-90, Antares Focal Reducer, ZWO AS071 running at -10C, Celestron CGEM-DX mount, ZWO ASIAir Plus, ZWO EAF, 60 x 60 second exposures, darks from the library and flats after the imaging session, DeepSkyStacker and Tycho Tracker. Image Date: December 14, 2022. Location: The Dark Side Observatory (W59), Weatherly, PA, USA (Bortle Class 4).
C/2022 E3 (ZTF) Observation
You can see the thin ion tails extending to the upper left, likely the result of a variable solar wind on ions ejected by the icy comet nucleus. The comet's white dust tail is visible to the left and much shorter. The green glow is the comet's coma, caused by glowing carbon gas. Comet ZTF is expected to pass nearest the Earth in early February, after which it should dim dramatically. (REF: https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap230109.html).
From EarthSky.org “Astronomers call this comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF). It got its name because it was the third such object to be discovered in the fifth half-month (A, B, C, D, E) of 2022. The ZTF stands for the Zwicky Transient Facility, which uses the 48-inch Samuel Oschin robotic telescope, located at Mt. Palomar in southern California.”
Tech Specs: Sky-Watcher Esprit 120ED Telescope, ZWO AS2600mc-Pro running at -10C, Celestron CGEM-DX mount, 60 x 60 second guided exposures, focused with a ZWO EAF, controlled with a ZWO ASIAir Pro. Processed using DSS and PixInsight. Image Date: January 16, 2023. Location: The Dark Side Observatory (W59), Weatherly, PA, USA (Bortle Class 4).
C/2022 E3 (ZTF) Observation - July 29, 2022 - 51-minute raw unprocessed video.
Got some credits in the latest NASA video for my video of Comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF). What's Up: Skywatching Tips from NASA is produced each month and is available at: https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/skywatching/whats-up/
Comet 44P/Reinmuth
Tech Specs: Sky-Watcher Esprit 120ED Telescope, ZWO AS2600mc-Pro running at -10C, Celestron CGEM-DX mount, 45 x 60 second guided exposures, focused with a ZWO EAF, controlled with a ZWO ASIAir Pro. Processed using Tycho Tracker v9.3.7 by Daniel Parrott. Image Date: October 9, 2022. Location: The Dark Side Observatory, Weatherly, PA, USA (Bortle Class 4).
Comet C/2021 Y1 (ATLAS) Observation
Here is Comet C/2021 Y1 (ATLAS) as observed last evening in the constellation Taurus.
Object: C/2021 Y1 (ATLAS) Right Asc: 04h 25m 15.6s Decl: 13° 23' 30.0" (J2000)Magnitude: 15.06 Altitude: 60° Solar Elongation: 171.6° Constellation: TauSun distance: 407.39 Million Km Earth distance: 260.77 Million Km* Data from TheSkyLive.com
Tech Specs: Sky-Watcher Esprit 120ED Telescope, ZWO AS2600mc-Pro running at -10C, Celestron CGEM-DX mount, 56 x 60 second guided exposures, focused with a ZWO EAF, controlled with a ZWO ASIAir Pro. Processed using Tycho Tracker. Image Date: November 26, 2022. Location: The Dark Side Observatory (W59), Weatherly, PA, USA (Bortle Class 4).
Comet 110P/Hartley
110P/Hartley live position and data on March 4, 2022.Right Ascension: 07h 51m 21.8s Declination: 13° 27' 44.0" (J2000)Magnitude: 16.47 (Estimated: JPL) Constellation: GeminiSun Distance: 387,987,959 km [20.9 km/s] Earth Distance: 270,433,333 km [19.0 km/s]Perihelion: 21 Oct 2021 05:51 UTC [+133d 19h 8m 37s]
Tech Specs: Orion 8" f/8 Ritchey-Chretien Astrograph Telescope, Celestron CGEM-DX pier mounted, ZWO ASI290MC and ASI071MC-Pro, ZWO AAPlus, ZWO EAF, 54 x 60 seconds at -10C plus darks and flats, processed using PixInsight and DSS. Image Date: March 4, 2022 @ 01:00 (UT). Location: The Dark Side Observatory, Weatherly, PA, USA (Bortle Class 4).
Comet C/2017 K2 Observation
From EarthSky.org “Astronomers first spotted this comet in 2017 using the Pan-STARRS survey instrument in Hawaii. At the time, they said it was the farthest active inbound comet they’d yet seen. It was between the orbits of Saturn and Uranus when they first saw it. Now it’s in the inner solar system, with closest approach to Earth on July 14. The comet will be closest to the sun several months later, on December 19, 2022. With a small telescope, you should be able to spot the comet throughout the summer.
According to in-the-sky.org, the current visual magnitude is listed as 8.81.
Tech Specs: Meade 12” LX-90, Celestron CGEM-DX pier mounted, Antares Focal Reducer, ZWO ASI290MC, ASI071MC-Pro, ZWO AAPlus, ZWO EAF, ZWO OAG, 56 x 60 seconds at 5C plus darks and flats, processed using PixInsight and DSS. Image Date: July 19, 2022. Location: The Dark Side Observatory, Weatherly, PA, USA (Bortle Class 4).
C/2022 E3 (ZTF) Observation - July 29, 2022
From EarthSky.org “Astronomers call this comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF). It got its name because it was the third such object to be discovered in the fifth half-month (A, B, C, D, E) of this year. The ZTF stands for the Zwicky Transient Facility, which uses the 48-inch Samuel Oschin robotic telescope, located at Mt. Palomar in southern California.”
Info at the time the image was taken:
Object: C/2022 E3 (ZTF)Right Asc: 17h 39m 46.1s Dec: 35° 54' 01.1" (J2000) [HMS|Dec]Magnitude: 13.80 Altitude: 75° Solar Elongation: 111.4° Constellation: HerSun distance: 398.20 Million Km Earth distance: 316.93 Million KmRise: 13:34 Transit: 22:12 Set: 06:46 America/New_York
Tech Specs: Meade 12” LX-90, Celestron CGEM-DX pier mounted, Antares Focal Reducer, ZWO ASI290MC (on Orion 60mm Guidescope), ASI071MC-Pro, ZWO AAPlus, ZWO EAF, 69 x 60 seconds at 5C plus darks and flats, processed using PixInsight and DSS. Image Date: July 29, 2022. Location: The Dark Side Observatory, Weatherly, PA, USA (Bortle Class 4).
Comet C/2019 L3 (ATLAS)
Right Ascension: 06h 35m 20.8s Declination: 22° 49' 37.5" (J2000)Magnitude: 9.2 (Observed: COBS) Constellation: GeminiSun Distance: 534,885,571 km [22.3 km/s] Earth Distance: 434,198,442 km [28.1 km/s]Perihelion: 9 Jan 2022 17:57 UTC [+42d 6h 25m 32s]
Tech Specs: Orion 8" f/8 Ritchey-Chretien Astrograph Telescope, Celestron CGEM-DX pier mounted, ZWO ASI290MC and ASI071MC-Pro, ZWO AAPlus, ZWO EAF, 54 x 60 seconds at -10C plus darks and flats, processed using PixInsight and DSS. Image Date: February 21, 2022 @ 02:30 (UT). Location: The Dark Side Observatory, Weatherly, PA, USA (Bortle Class 4).
Comet 116P/Wild 4
Right Ascension: 09h 42m 53.8s Declination: 18° 58' 40.6" (J2000)Magnitude: 14.90 (Estimated: JPL) Constellation: LeoSun Distance: 361,523,431 km [21.9 km/s] Earth Distance: 215,377,993 km [8.9 km/s]Perihelion: 10 Jul 2022 20:24 UTC [-139d 17h 53m 44s]
HISTORY: Paul Wild (Astronomical Institute, Berne University, Switzerland) on 1990 January 21.98 at a position of RA=9h 34m 31.69s, DEC=+20° 39' 39.5" (1950.0). He described the comet as strongly condensed, with a total magnitude of 13.5-14.0. There was a fan-shaped tail extending about one arc minute toward the northwest.
Tech Specs: Orion 8" f/8 Ritchey-Chretien Astrograph Telescope, Celestron CGEM-DX pier mounted, ZWO ASI290MC and ASI071MC-Pro, ZWO AAPlus, ZWO EAF, 54 x 60 seconds at -10C plus darks and flats, processed using PixInsight and DSS. Image Date: February 21, 2022 @ 02:30 (UT). Location: The Dark Side Observatory, Weatherly, PA, USA (Bortle Class 4).
Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko
- Right Ascension: 08h 23m 01.2s Declination: 26° 54' 37.6" (J2000)
- Magnitude: 11.1 (Observed: COBS) Constellation: Cancer
- Sun Distance: 273,951,572 km [26.7 km/s] Earth Distance: 140,817,219 km [23.0 km/s]
- Perihelion: 23 Jan 2022 07:06 UTC [+34d 19h 27m 56s]
Tech Specs: Orion 8" f/8 Ritchey-Chretien Astrograph Telescope, Celestron CGEM-DX pier mounted, ZWO ASI290MC and ASI071MC-Pro, ZWO AAPlus, ZWO EAF, 90 x 60 seconds at -10C plus darks and flats, processed using PixInsight and DSS. Image Date: February 21, 2022 @ 02:30 (UT). Location: The Dark Side Observatory, Weatherly, PA, USA (Bortle Class 4).
Comet C/2019 L3 (ATLAS)
Tech Specs: Orion 8" f/8 Ritchey-Chretien Astrograph Telescope, Celestron CGEM-DX pier mounted, ZWO ASI290MC and ASI071MC-Pro, ZWO AAPlus, ZWO EAF. 56 x 60 seconds at -10C plus darks and flats, stacked in DSS. Image Date: December 12, 2021. Location: The Dark Side Observatory, Weatherly, PA, USA (Bortle Class 4).
Observation of Comet C/2019 L3 (Atlas) in Gemini
Tech Specs: Orion 8" f/8 Ritchey-Chretien Astrograph Telescope, Celestron CGEM-DX pier mounted, ZWO ASI290MC and ASI071MC-Pro, ZWO AAPlus, ZWO EAF, 60 x 60 seconds at -10C plus darks, processed using DSS. Image Date: January 25, 2022. Location: The Dark Side Observatory, Weatherly, PA, USA (Bortle Class 4).
Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko
Right Ascension: 08h 22m 36.9s Declination: 27° 28' 17.6" (J2000)Magnitude: 10.5 (Observed: COBS) Constellation: CancerSun Distance: 266,941,984 km [27.2 km/s] Earth Distance: 129,406,197 km [21.3 km/s]Perihelion: 23 Jan 2022 07:06 UTC [+28d 19h 21m 22s]
Tech Specs: Orion 8" f/8 Ritchey-Chretien Astrograph Telescope, Celestron CGEM-DX pier mounted, ZWO ASI290MC and ASI071MC-Pro, ZWO AAPlus, ZWO EAF, 54 x 60 seconds at -10C plus darks and flats, processed using PixInsight and DSS. Image Date: February 21, 2022 @ 02:30 (UT). Location: The Dark Side Observatory, Weatherly, PA, USA (Bortle Class 4).
Comet C/2019 U6 (Lemmon) Observation
INFO: C/2019 U6 (Lemmon), or Comet Lemmon is a long period comet with a near-parabolic orbit discovered by the Mount Lemmon Survey on October 31, 2019.
Tech Specs: ZWO ASI071mc-pro, Williams Optics REDCAT51, 16 x 60 seconds with dark and flat frames. Stacked in DSS and processed in PixInsight. Image Date: July 31, 2020 (UT 1 Aug 2020 @ 0300HRS). Location: The Dark Side Observatory, Weatherly, PA, USA.
Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko
Tech Specs: Sky Watcher Esprit 120ED, Celestron CGEM-DX pier mounted, ZWO ASI290MC and ASI071MC-Pro, ZWO AAPlus, ZWO EAF. 82 x 60 seconds at -10C plus darks and flats. Image Date: October 27, 2021. Location: The Dark Side Observatory, Weatherly, PA, USA (Bortle Class 4).
Comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko
Tech Specs: Orion 8" f/8 Ritchey-Chretien Astrograph Telescope, Celestron CGEM-DX pier mounted, ZWO ASI290MC and ASI071MC-Pro, ZWO AAPlus, ZWO EAF. 60 x 60 seconds at -10C plus darks and flats. Stacked in DSS and processed with PixInsight. Image Date: November 6, 2021. Location: The Dark Side Observatory, Weatherly, PA, USA (Bortle Class 4).
Comet C/2020 F3 (NEOWISE) - July 17, 2020
Comet C/2020 F3 (NEOWISE) - July 31, 2020
Tech Specs: ZWO ASI071mc-pro, Williams Optics REDCAT51, 29 x 60 seconds with dark and flat frames. Stacked in DSS and processed in PixInsight. Image Date: July 31, 2020. Location: The Dark Side Observatory, Weatherly, PA, USA.
Comet C/2017 T2 (PANSTARRS) Observation
INFO: C/2017 T2 (PANSTARRS) is an Oort cloud comet discovered on 2 October 2017 when it was 9.2 AU (1.38 billion km) from the Sun.
Tech Specs: ZWO ASI071mc-pro, Williams Optics REDCAT51, 16 x 60 seconds with dark and flat frames. Stacked in DSS and processed in PixInsight. Image Date: July 31, 2020 (UT 1 Aug 2020 @ 0300HRS). Location: The Dark Side Observatory, Weatherly, PA, USA.
Perseus Double Cluster and Comet PanSTARRS (C/2017 T2)
Tech Specs: Williams Optic Redcat 51, Celestron CGEM-DX mount (pier mounted), ZWO ASI071MC-Pro running at -10C, 30 x 120 second exposures, GAIN 200, guided using a ZWO ASI290MC and Orion 60mm guide scope. Captured using SharpCap v3.2. Image date: January 29, 2020. Location: The Dark Side Observatory, Weatherly, PA, USA.
Comet C/2019 Y4 (ATLAS) – March 21, 2020
Technical Specs: Meade 12” LX-90, ZWO ASI071mc-Pro, 14 x 60 second exposures, Gain 200, Temp -5C, guided using a ZWO ASI290MC and Orion 60mm guide scope. Captured using SGP v3.1 and processed in DeepSkyStacker. Image date: March 21, 2020. Location: The Dark Side Observatory, Weatherly, PA, USA.
Comet C/2020 F3 (NEOWISE) - July 14, 2020
Tech Specs: Canon 6D, Williams Optics REDCAT on an iOptron SkyTracker mount (1st Gen). ISO 400, 27 x 20 seconds with darks, bias and flat frames. Stacked in DSS and processed in PixInsight and Adobe Lightroom. Image Date: July 14, 2020. Location: The Dark Side Observatory, Weatherly, PA, USA.
Comet Swift-Gehrels (64P)
Comet Swift-Gehrels (64P)
Comet 46P/Wirtanen
Comet Stephan-Oterma (38P)
Comet Wirtanen (46P)
Comet C/2018 W2 (Africano)
Tech Specs: Sky-Watcher Esprit 120mm ED Triplet APO Refractor, Canon 6D, ISO 3200, 15 x 60 second exposures with dark/bias frames, guided using a ZWO ASI290MC and Orion 60mm guide scope. Image date: August 30, 2019 @ 03:54 UT. Location: The Dark Side Observatory, Weatherly, PA, USA.