Sometimes you plan a shot for weeks like I did for the 2015 solar eclipse to have it right behind the weathercock on top of our church tower. Measured angles and distances with TPE, Google Earth, researched in 200 year old plans to get the exact height of that weathercock, made a sign on the pavement where the tripod must stand and then – fog tongue2.gif .
And sometimes you don’t even think about such a plan and it simply happens – without a plan, without anything to do for you. I built up my tripod on a piece of lawn and saw the Comet left of the church tower. ½ an hour later it set down right in the tip of the tower and kissed the weathercock! I thought this was a cosmic coincidence. Later at home I read in the newspaper that the old pries of the church celebrated his 50th year of service that day. And the name of the church is St. Lambertus. On this saint’s day the children light a lantern on a stick in this region. So maybe the light on the church tower was no coincidence but fulfilment of a higher plan. Nevertheless the old priest will get a greeting card with a cosmic lantern lit on his chearchtower.
I had my Pentax K3ii with me and the Starwatcher Adventurer. After a short test I decided to use the built-in Astrotracer function alone instead of the mount. The lens was a Sigma 1:2.8 70-200mm EX DG HSM. Shots were made with 80 mm and 138 mm fl at F/3.5 and ISO 800. I made a guided sequence of a couple of shots and another unguided for the foreground. The foreground’s and the comet’s pictures were stacked manually and layered in median smart object mode in PS before they were combined.
Full res. on Astrobin:
Full res. on Astrobin:
Full res. on Astrobin:
Full res. on Astrobin:
If you like you may watch a short
gif animation of the comet's fly-by at the weathercock:
This comet's visit was a great event for me and these images can't compete with the live experience and atmosphere. Hope you like them nevertheless.
Have a nice day!
Pete
P.S. The ASTROTRACER really is an ingenious tool for projects like this. I do not use it very often but fall in love again every time I use it again
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