Comet ISON C/2012 S1 this morning around 5am:
(http://www.markshelley.co.uk/webdisk/ison03112013_small.jpg)
Canon 400D on Celestron C11 with 0.8x TSSCKorr2 reducer/flattener. 28 exposures of 30sec at ISO 800.
The wind had reduced sufficiently by this morning for the scope not to be buffeted too much. Lots of lightning in the distance over Northern France,
Larger version here:
http://www.markshelley.co.uk/webdisk/ison03112013.jpg
Mark
Great image Mark.
What is the size of the comet compared to your previous image? Is it brighter? Tail longer?
Definitely a lot brighter. Not sure about the tail length though.
I've taken this with the bigger scope so it's not that easy to compare them.
I've just done a quick magnitude estimate by totalling its flux and comparing that flux with 2 bright stars over to the right of the image which have magnitudes 9.6 and 11.3
It gives a magnitude of more or less exactly 10 - so it's still a very dim object!
My estimate agrees reasonably well with the light curve found here:
http://www.astronomie.be/alfons.diepvens/cometimages/comet/Lightcurve/C2012_S1_ISON.html
Mark
Well done Mark, that's looking good with the larger scope. Also for getting up at 5am to image it!!!!
Carole
Nice picture. Definitely one I'm going to have a go at one of these mornings!
Quote from: MarkS on Nov 03, 2013, 11:08:22
I've just done a quick magnitude estimate by totalling its flux [...]
Don't tell me, you selected the area in IRIS and ran a command
Quote from: The Thing
Don't tell me, you selected the area in IRIS and ran a command
Precisely!
Quote from: MarkS on Nov 03, 2013, 12:23:38
Precisely!
I hope so !
It's looking just like comet Lulin... but better soon I hope 8)
Super Mark - great capture & dedication... John
Very nice Mark
Quote from: RobertM
It's looking just like comet Lulin... but better soon I hope 8)
Yes, it does look very similar to Lulin. Here was Lulin through the ED80 back in Feb 2009:
(http://www.markshelley.co.uk/Astronomy/2009/lulin280209.jpg)
A complete rework of ISON - adding more data and calibrating out some background artifacts - now 77 x 30 seconds:
(http://www.markshelley.co.uk/webdisk/ison03112013v2_small.jpg)
Larger version: http://www.markshelley.co.uk/webdisk/ison03112013v2.jpg
Mark
Thats a good comet capture Mark. too low for me