balzaccom
Trail Wise!
Waiting for spring...
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Post by balzaccom on Feb 2, 2023 8:45:40 GMT -8
Has anyone else seen the "Green Comet?" www.space.com/comet-c2022-e3-ztf-closest-approach-feb-1Reurns every 50,000 years, so if you miss it this time, you're SOL. I've managed to spot it with binoculars from my house in downtown Napa, but it was quiet dim. Unimpressive, if it weren't for the idea of the thing. If I had access to darker skies I'm sure it would be better, but with clouds coming in the next couple of days, maybe that's as good as I will get. |
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balzaccom
Trail Wise!
Waiting for spring...
Posts: 4,500
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Post by balzaccom on Feb 2, 2023 9:17:01 GMT -8
This is a time where those dark Sierra skies would really be nice–as would those warmer summer temps! And by the way, astrophotography is one of the great inflators of expectations. What you see through an astrocamera with a time-lapse exposure ain’t what you’re gonna see with your naked eye.
Still, it's cool to see a visitor from far, far away that began its journey long ago.
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driftwoody
Trail Wise!
Take the path closer to the edge, especially if less traveled
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Post by driftwoody on Feb 2, 2023 10:11:04 GMT -8
The only green Comet I saw was a Mercury with 4 wheels. That was a long time ago, but considerably less than 50,000 years.
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Post by starwalker on Feb 2, 2023 16:45:31 GMT -8
I saw it in both binoculars and a telescope. It was more of a green haze rather than bright green. I'll look tonight again now that the skies have cleared.
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rebeccad
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Writing like a maniac
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Post by rebeccad on Feb 2, 2023 18:51:34 GMT -8
May actually have clear skies, but probably no hope of spotting it in an area this urban.
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Post by tallgrass on Feb 2, 2023 20:03:06 GMT -8
Very few clear nights the last few weeks. Last weekend we had one two hour window of clear skies, with a fairly bright moon. Tough to see, but we did see it. Camera captured it OK. So might be as good as it's gonna get.
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BigLoad
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Pancakes!
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Post by BigLoad on Feb 4, 2023 17:06:36 GMT -8
It was clear last night for the first time in weeks, but the temps were at 1F, so not ideal for viewing, especially with optics.
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balzaccom
Trail Wise!
Waiting for spring...
Posts: 4,500
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Post by balzaccom on Feb 4, 2023 17:31:53 GMT -8
It was clear last night for the first time in weeks, but the temps were at 1F, so not ideal for viewing, especially with optics. Gives a whole new meaning to the phrase "an icy stare!" |
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Post by swimswithtrout on Feb 6, 2023 14:54:50 GMT -8
This Winter has been very abnormally cloudy. I hadn't had a single usable clear night since early last December until last week, which unfortunately also coincided with the Full Moon. The feeble light from the faint comet was no match for the moon on 5" of snow. This is the best I could do using my "mini" telescope at 420mm focal length. 2 hours total exposure.  |
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balzaccom
Trail Wise!
Waiting for spring...
Posts: 4,500
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Post by balzaccom on Feb 6, 2023 15:01:31 GMT -8
Great photo! You have my admiration!
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Post by swimswithtrout on Feb 6, 2023 19:24:07 GMT -8
Great photo! You have my admiration! Thanks, besides fighting the moon, it was all of 0F while I was setting up/taking down my gear |
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BigLoad
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Pancakes!
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Post by BigLoad on Feb 6, 2023 19:56:31 GMT -8
This is the best I could do using my "mini" telescope at 420mm focal length. 2 hours total exposure. I was hoping you'd post a pic. I haven't caught a good look yet, despite having less light pollution out here in the hills than in NYC, where some of our friends have spotted it from the rooftops. |
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RumiDude
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Marmota olympus
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Post by RumiDude on Feb 6, 2023 21:23:47 GMT -8
I live on the Olympic Peninsula so the winter weather patterns rarely allow for good sky viewing. Also I am not able to see stars very well nowadays so even using binoculars is difficult to see much of anything in the sky. So I supplement with viewing swimswithtrout photos instead. Rumi |
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BigLoad
Trail Wise!
Pancakes!
Posts: 12,911
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Post by BigLoad on Feb 6, 2023 21:42:24 GMT -8
Great photo! You have my admiration! Thanks, besides fighting the moon, it was all of 0F while I was setting up/taking down my gear
Do you have any problem with lenses fogging?
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Post by hikerchick395 on Feb 7, 2023 8:50:26 GMT -8
Just saw a fuzz over a week ago. The moon is too bright!
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