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Comet c2010 F4 Machholz
Comet c2009 O2 Catalina
Comet c2009 K5 Mcnaught
Comet 81P Wild
Comet 29P Schwassmann-Wachmann
Comet 118P Shoemaker Levy
Comet C/2007 Q3 Siding Spring
Comet 217P Linear
17P Holmes
Comet 73P Schwassmann-Wachmann
Machholz011605
c/2006 A1 Pojmanski
Comet Swan
Comet McNaught c2006 P1
Comet Linear 2006 VZ13
8P Tuttle
Comet c2007 W1 Boattini
Comet c2007 N3 Lulin
Comet 144P Kushida
Comet c2006 OF2 Broughton
Comet c2008 T2 Cardinal
Comet c2009 F6 Yi-SWAN
Comet c2006 W3 Christensen
Comet 260P McNaught
168P Hergenrother
Comet c2012 J1 Catalina
Comet 262P McNaught-Russell
Comet c2012 K5 Linear

 

  

Scroll down for older images (last update: 03/17/2009) 

Comet c2007 N3 Lulin
Click for higher resolution

0bject

 Comet c2007 N3 Lulin (passing δ Geminorum)
Date 3/16/2009
Exposure LRGB 10:10:10:10 (unbinned & cropped; median combined stars & comet separately)
Camera STL11000M with Astronomik filters
Telescope ASA 10N f/3.6 on Losmandy G11 w/ Gemini
Guiding Remote guide head with E-Finder
Processing MaximDL, PhotoshopCS3, GradientXterminator
Comments Cool 50ºF; clear with good transparency

Click for higher resolution

Full resolution crop

0bject

 Comet c2007 N3 Lulin (passing the Eskimo Nebula, NGC 2392)
Date 3/14/2009
Exposure LRGB 10:10:10:10 (unbinned; median combined stars & comet separately)
Camera STL11000M with Astronomik filters
Telescope ASA 10N f/3.6 on Losmandy G11 w/ Gemini
Guiding Remote guide head with E-Finder
Processing MaximDL, PhotoshopCS3, GradientXterminator
Comments Cool 45ºF; high clouds blowing through

Click for higher resolution

0bject

 Comet c2007 N3 Lulin
Date 3/8/2009
Exposure LRGB 11:11:11:11 (unbinned; median combined stars & comet separately)
Camera STL11000M with Astronomik filters
Telescope ASA 10N f/3.6 on Losmandy G11 w/ Gemini
Guiding Remote guide head with E-Finder
Processing MaximDL, PhotoshopCS3, GradientXterminator
Comments Cool 45ºF; waxing gibbous moon high in the sky

Click for higher resolution

0bject

 Comet c2007 N3 Lulin and M44 (Beehive)
Date 3/5/2009
Exposure RGB 10:10:10 (binned 3x3; median combined stars & comet separately)
Camera STL11000M with Astronomik filters
Telescope FSQ 106N f/5 on Losmandy G11 w/ Gemini
Guiding Remote guide head with E-Finder
Processing MaximDL, PhotoshopCS3, GradientXterminator
Comments Warm and humid

Click for higher resolution

  Inverted luminance

0bject

 Comet c2007 N3 Lulin
Date 2/28/2009
Exposure RGB 10:10:10 (unbinned & cropped; median combined stars & comet separately)
Camera STL11000M with Astronomik filters
Telescope FSQ 106N f/5 on Losmandy G11 w/ Gemini
Guiding Remote guide head with E-Finder
Processing MaximDL, PhotoshopCS3, GradientXterminator
Comments Cold and very windy

Click for higher resolution

Inverted luminance

0bject

 Comet c2007 N3 Lulin
Date 2/22/2009
Exposure RGB 10:10:10 (unbinned & cropped; median combined stars & comet separately)
Camera STL11000M with Astronomik filters
Telescope FSQ 106N f/5 on Losmandy G11 w/ Gemini
Guiding Remote guide head with E-Finder
Processing MaximDL, PhotoshopCS3, GradientXterminator
Comments Moderate seeing & light pollution

Click for higher resolution

Inverted luminance view

0bject

 Comet c2007 N3 Lulin
Date 2/19/2009
Exposure LRGB 10:10:10:10 (unbinned & cropped; luminance synthesized from R+G+B)
Camera STL11000M with Astronomik filters
Telescope ASA 10N f/3.6 on Losmandy G11 w/ Gemini
Guiding Remote guide head with E-Finder
Processing MaximDL, PhotoshopCS3, GradientXterminator
Comments Clear and quite cold 17ºF

Click for higher resolution

0bject

 Comet c2007 N3 Lulin
Date 2/18/2009
Exposure RGB 8:8:8 (unbinned and cropped)
Camera STL11000M with Astronomik filters
Telescope ASA 10N f/3.6 on Losmandy G11 w/ Gemini
Guiding Remote guide head with E-Finder
Processing MaximDL, PhotoshopCS3, GradientXterminator
Comments Some high thin clouds and quite a few satellite trails

Click for higher resolution

Single 1 minute RGB  Inverted Green 60 seconds

0bject

 Comet c2007 N3 Lulin
Date 2/16/2009
Exposure RGB 10:10:10 (unbinned and cropped)
Camera STL11000M with Astronomik filters
Telescope ASA 10N f/3.6 on Losmandy G11 w/ Gemini
Guiding Remote guide head with E-Finder
Processing MaximDL, PhotoshopCS3, GradientXterminator
Comments Lots of nasty gradients from moon and local light pollution

Click for higher resolution

0bject

 Comet c2007 N3 Lulin
Date 2/12/2009
Exposure LRGB 6:6:6:6 (unbinned and cropped)
Camera STL11000M with Astronomik filters
Telescope ASA 10N f/3.6 on Losmandy G11 w/ Gemini
Guiding Remote guide head with E-Finder
Processing MaximDL, PhotoshopCS3, GradientXterminator
Comments Mild temps but 3/4 moon nearby in the sky wiped out the tail

Click for higher resolution

Luminance image

0bject

 Comet c2007 N3 Lulin
Date 2/7/2009
Exposure Luminance only 10x120 sec (unbinned and inverted)
Camera STL11000M with Astronomik filters
Telescope ASA 10N f/3.6 on Losmandy G11 w/ Gemini
Guiding Remote guide head with E-Finder
Processing MaximDL, PhotoshopCS3, GradientXterminator
Comments Windy, mild and very poor seeing (6+ arcseconds)

Click for higher resolution

Inverted view Luminance only

0bject

 Comet c2007 N3 Lulin
Date 2/6/2009
Exposure LRGB 2:2:2:2 (unbinned)
Camera STL11000M with Astronomik filters
Telescope ASA 10N f/3.6 on Losmandy G11 w/ Gemini
Guiding Remote guide head with E-Finder
Processing MaximDL, PhotoshopCS3, GradientXterminator
Comments Comet very near Zubenelgenubi

Click for higher resolution Click for higher resolution

Click for higher resolution

 

0bject

 Comet c2007 N3 Lulin (tail disconnect)
Date 2/4/2009
Exposure Luminance only 120sec each;  300 sec (last image)
Camera STL11000M with Astronomik filters
Telescope ASA 10N f/3.6 on Losmandy G11 w/ Gemini
Guiding Self guided (internal)
Processing MaximDL, PhotoshopCS3, GradientXterminator
Comments Comet well up in the East in Libra; very cold 13ºF

Click for higher resolution

0bject

 Comet c2007 N3 Lulin
Date 1/31/2009
Exposure LRGB 10:10:10:10 (Luminance synthesized, binned 2x2 and cropped)
Camera STL11000M with Astronomik filters
Telescope ASA 10N f/3.6 on Losmandy G11 w/ Gemini
Guiding Remote guide head with E-finder
Processing MaximDL, PhotoshopCS3, GradientXterminator
Comments Comet well up in the East in Libra; some high thin clouds

Click for higher resolution

Inverted view 012909

0bject

 Comet c2007 N3 Lulin
Date 1/29/2009
Exposure LRGB 10:10:10:10 (Luminance synthesized, binned 2x2 and cropped)
Camera STL11000M with Astronomik filters
Telescope ASA 10N f/3.6 on Losmandy G11 w/ Gemini
Guiding Remote guide head with E-finder
Processing MaximDL, PhotoshopCS3, GradientXterminator
Comments Comet well up in the East in Libra; cold 17ºF 

Click for higher resolution

False color of the above image

0bject

 Comet c2007 N3 Lulin
Date 1/24/2009
Exposure Luminance only 4x180 sec (unbinned and cropped)
Camera STL11000M with Astronomik filters
Telescope ASA 10N f/3.6 on Losmandy G11 w/ Gemini
Guiding Remote guide head with E-finder
Processing MaximDL, PhotoshopCS3
Comments Comet well up in the East in Libra; very cold 13ºF 

Click for higher resolution

False color of the comet

0bject

 Comet c2007 N3 Lulin
Date 1/22/2009
Exposure LRGB 8:10:10:10 (unbinned and cropped)
Camera STL11000M with Astronomik filters
Telescope ASA 10N f/3.6 on Losmandy G11 w/ Gemini
Guiding Remote guide head with E-finder
Processing MaximDL, PhotoshopCS3
Comments Comet well up in the East in Libra; some high thin clouds. 

Click for higher resolution

0bject

 Comet c2007 N3 Lulin
Date 1/21/2009
Exposure RGB 4:4:4 (unbinned and cropped)
Camera STL11000M with Astronomik filters
Telescope ASA 10N f/3.6 on Losmandy G11 w/ Gemini
Guiding Remote guide head with E-finder
Processing MaximDL, PhotoshopCS3
Comments Comet about 26º above Eastern horizon; waning moon 14 degrees East. 

Click for higher resolution

Inverted to show tail

0bject

 Comet c2007 N3 Lulin
Date 1/15/2009
Exposure LRGB 16:6:6:6 (unbinned and cropped)
Camera STL11000M with Astronomik filters
Telescope ASA 10N f/3.6 on Losmandy G11 w/ Gemini
Guiding Remote guide head with E-finder
Processing MaximDL, PhotoshopCS3
Comments Comet about 24º above Eastern horizon; very cold (1º F ). 


Click for higher resolution

Close encounter with a satellite

0bject

 Comet c2007 N3 Lulin
Date 1/11/2009
Exposure LRGB 16:6:6:4 (unbinned and cropped)
Camera STL11000M with Astronomik filters
Telescope ASA 10N f/3.6 on Losmandy G11 w/ Gemini
Guiding Remote guide head with E-finder
Processing MaximDL, PhotoshopCS3
Comments Comet about 22º above Eastern horizon; very cold and clear.  Full moon wiped out the tai and anti-tail.

Click for higher resolution

Stretched view

0bject

 Comet c2007 N3 Lulin
Date 1/8/2009
Exposure LRGB 6:6:6:6 (unbinned and cropped)
Camera STL11000M with Astronomik filters
Telescope ASA 10N f/3.6 on Losmandy G11 w/ Gemini
Guiding Remote guide head with E-finder
Processing MaximDL, PhotoshopCS3
Comments Comet about 20º above Eastern horizon; very cold and clear

Click for higher resolution

Wide field   Inverted (Tail?)

0bject

 Comet c2007 N3 Lulin
Date 1/1/2009
Exposure RGB 6:6:6 (unbinned and cropped)
Camera STL11000M with Astronomik filters
Telescope Takahashi FSQ 106N f/5 on Losmandy G11 w/ Gemini
Guiding Remote guide head with E-finder
Processing MaximDL, PhotoshopCS3
Comments Comet about 16º above Eastern horizon; thin clouds

Click for higher resolution

Stretched and inverted - tail?

0bject

 Comet c2007 N3 Lulin
Date 12/30/2008
Exposure RGB 5:5:5 (unbinned)
Camera STL11000M with Astronomik filters
Telescope Takahashi FSQ 106N f/5 on Losmandy G11 w/ Gemini
Guiding Remote guide head with E-finder
Processing MaximDL, PhotoshopCS3, GradientXterminator
Comments Comet about 12º above Eastern horizon

                                    All text and images © Gregg L. Ruppel 1998-2008.