73 P, Component C, 4/30/2006, 1:47 a.m. CDT
Taken the night of 4/29 at the HAS site near Columbus. This is a single 4 minute exposure, full frame, ISO 800. See the shots from earlier in the week below. Equipment same as below. The other HAS Pix from 4/29/2006 are here.
4/26/2006 from HAS site. Above: 2 minute exposure of with Takahashi TOA 130 (a 5" APO refractor telescope) and Canon EOS D20a. I was fighting thin clouds all evening! These two images were the best I could manage. This comet has split into multiple pieces which makes it somewhat unpredictable from day to day - it's essentially disintegrating as we watch!. Above is the "C" fragment, and below the "B" fragment.
This comet fragment seems to be more colorful than the other, though that may be due to the sky conditions I was fighting. This is a 3 minute exposure at ISO 800.
Observing notes: I observed B and C with various binocs Wed. night (4/26/2006) and Saturday night (4/29/2006) from the HAS site near Columbus TX USA. I got a hint of a tail on C and not much on B. It seems that perhaps B dimmed a bit from from what I remember on Wed. B looked like a large, bright galaxy both nights. Hard to make comparisons as transparency was not as good on Wed as Saturday during times I observed the comets. I definitely was not able to observe the comet fragments naked eye. I tried several times for C near the zenith to no avail.
The other HAS Pix from 4/29/2006 are here.
Copyright © 2006 by Dick Locke. All Rights Reserved.
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