[cheekygeek]

I don't know if it is making national news yet, but
a comet was just days ago discovered by a couple of Russian
astronomers that appears to have all of the ingredients to be one of
the greatest comets in our lifetimes, and maybe one of the greatest in
human civilization's history.
New comet might blaze brighter than the full Moon

Normally it takes a while after discovery to calculate an accurate
orbit, but this comet was found on pre-discovery sky surveys (where it
was previously overlooked as a comet) and so they have 9 months of
data (over 50 orbital datapoints). What makes it incredible is the
nearness with which it is going to skim past the sun (.012 AU) and
then the nearness with which is flies past the earth (.4 AU). This
comet has the chance of being visible in a broad daylight sky,
brighter than the moon. This will be an incredible object from Nov. to
Jan. in 2013/2014. Currently, this comet is known by the following
designation: C/2012 S1 (ISON)

If you want to hang out with the comet nerds, including at least one
of the discoverers of this comet:
comets-ml : Comets Mailing List

Before this, we were looking forward to another great comet in the
Spring of 2013 (known by the designation C/2011 L4 PANSTARRS ) This
comet alone would be enough to make most comet lovers wet their pants,
as it is expected to flirt with negative visual magnitudes in March
2013: C/2011 L4 ( PanSTARRS ) but it
has now been joined by a very big brother that looks to wildly
overshadow it.

2013 is going to be a once-in-a-lifetime year for comets.

Which brings me to the Pentax O-GPS1... and the AstroTracer feature:
This little sucker is going to be IDEAL for capturing views of these great comets, with pinpoint stars. If you have a K-5 or K-r and are interested in capturing these comets I'm guessing you had better order now, because once word gets out the prices will probably climb with demand for these things. I just ordered one from Buy.com for $196 shipped.

I might also add that a lot of people do not use this little doo-dad to it's full potential. Here's somebody who knows how to use it: Accueil / Astrophotographie / Nébuleuses et galaxies | PhotosSteph

Sample of his images taken with a 200mm lens: Galaxie d'Andromède | PhotosSteph
Anybody know if this guy is a Pentax Forums member?

The key is stacking short exposures (comparatively short). I'm amazed that images such as this can be produced with an UNGUIDED K-5 equipped with a Pentax O-GPS1. Obviously this takes time. It isn't just a single long exposure. And your individual exposures have to be short enough that you aren't picking up skyglow.

I got my O-GPS1 right at full moon, so I'm going to wait for dark,. moonless skies to try it out. But the potential for serious astrophotography to be done UNGUIDED for so little money is truly ground-breaking. This little device represents one of the truly huge edges that belong to anyone who shoots with a Pentax K-5 or K-r (assuming that the K-5ii and K-5iis will share the ability to use it).

---

Last edited by cheekygeek; 10-03-2012 at 04:42 AM.

[jimr-pdx]

Uh oh, a run on o-gps1! Hope this pans out, Hyakutake and Hale-Bopp will be hard to beat - but I'm ok if it does!
I need to read up - can the o-gps1 be set to track something drifting among the stars, other than 'known' objects like the moon & planets?

[blackcloudbrew]

But we wont be here after 12/21/12 anyway so who cares?...

Not!

Ok, time to get one.

[baro-nite]

Wow -- if the predictions are even remotely in line this is going to be spectacular. Once it's confirmed that the K-5 II works with the O-GPS1 I will be getting one of each. Pentax meetup late November 2013 at some dark sky location?

[Ex Finn.]

But we wont be here after 12/21/12 anyway so who cares?...

Not!

Ok, time to get one.

This comet is the reason for the end, it will be close enough to lick it. No need for O-GPS1. Time to buy survival gear and extra batteries for the Pentax camera of your choice.

[cheekygeek]

Well, it is early and the orbit may be refined (somewhat) but here are some interesting facts:
The last "daylight comet" was in 1910. That one came .12 AU from the sun at perihelion. Comet C/2012 S1 (ISON) is expected to come .012 AU from the sun (10 times closer than the one in 1910). Closer to the sun means more melting, more out-gassing, likely one heck of a tail. After "flipping a U-ey" around the sun, it will pass just .4 AU from earth and be seen in the circumpolar region from the northern hemisphere (up all night). The tail could stretch a loooooong way across the sky as it glides past earth on its way back out.

[cheekygeek]

Uh oh, a run on o-gps1! Hope this pans out, Hyakutake and Hale-Bopp will be hard to beat - but I'm ok if it does!
I need to read up - can the o-gps1 be set to track something drifting among the stars, other than 'known' objects like the moon & planets?

I'm glad somebody remembers Hyakutake! That was my first comet photographed and I did it with a barndoor mount turned at 1rpm by hand. I had a ticking wristwatch suspended over my ear so I could do 1/4 turns every 15 seconds. This was on film, but I did 3 min., 5 min., and 7 min. exposures. Turned out great! But wished I'd been ready the night before when the tail was broadsides to the earth and it looked like a long glowing PENCIL in the sky. A view I'll never forget!

For comets this bright (and close) I don't think that guiding on the comet (as opposed to the background stars) will be critical. Exposures should be short enough that the apparent motion of the comet should be negligible. Good question though!

---

Last edited by cheekygeek; 10-02-2012 at 07:02 PM.

[jpzk]

That gives me over one year to prepare for it: get the gear, study how to make good shots (night) ... etc.

JP

[baro-nite]

The last "daylight comet" was in 1910.

I showed my grandmother Comet Halley in 1986; she had seen it as a girl in 1910. But I wonder if the bright comet she remembers was Halley or was actually the January comet.

I'm glad somebody remembers Hyakutake!

Not a particularly notable feat of memory. I'm sure there are plenty of us here who remember the Kahoutek hype.

[Ex Finn.]

Just hope the clouds don't mess everything up,
edit: I remember Halley, looking through binoculars, a spectacular view.

[jimr-pdx]

I'm glad somebody remembers Hyakutake! That was my first comet photographed and I did it with a barndoor mount turned at 1rpm by hand. I had a ticking wristwatch suspended over my ear so I could do 1/4 turns every 15 minutes. This was on film, but I did 3 min., 5 min., and 7 min. exposures. Turned out great! But wished I'd been ready the night before when the tail was broadsides to the earth and it looked like a long glowing PENCIL in the sky. A view I'll never forget!

I did the exact same thing, but my barndoor patience was limited to 2 minutes and iso400. Results were good but not spectacular, just what I deserved from no practice - here it is with the Dipper. Ah, for a K-5 and a time machine.. worse yet I have lost the negative!



And my astronomical greatest-views write up is at this link - c.1996b2 is one of the great highlights. I do need to add 2012's annular eclipse and Venus transit to the list.

[Ex Finn.]

I did the exact same thing, but my barndoor patience was limited to 2 minutes and iso400. Results were good but not spectacular, just what I deserved from no practice - here it is with the Dipper. Ah, for a K-5 and a time machine.. worse yet I have lost the negative!



And my astronomical greatest-views write up is at this link - c.1996b2 is one of the great highlights. I do need to add 2012's annular eclipse and Venus transit to the list.

Great shot, what I remember seeing with my 28 yo. eyes through binoculars, was "almost" that good.

[cheekygeek]

Just hope the clouds don't mess everything up,
.

the ISON comet will be spectacular from November 2013 into January 2014. I doubt it can be cloudy for ALL that time.

[jimr-pdx]

I doubt it can be cloudy for ALL that time.

Never been to western Oregon, I presume?
We've had 0.04" since July, but by November it's 5" a month for a while, often 1/4" at a time. Dreary - but we're an hour away from the desert if ice storms don't lock down I-84 I'll find a way, and maybe no barn-door mount this time - though it's still in my garage! I even bought a small motor many years back... how 20th century.

[Ex Finn.]

Damn these threads, I have been telling my self that I do not need that Orion Atlas EQ-G GoTo mount.Orion Atlas EQ-G Computerized GoTo Telescope Mount, Supports Tube Assemblies up to 40 lbs.