McNaught Comet, SoCal edition

We have this rare space visitor, I thought I'd take a few snaps.

This beauty is only visible over a short period time in twilight/dusk (soon after sunset, right before sunrise). If sun is visible, she's too weak to be noticed, and if sun is way below the horizon, she goes with it.:-(

Anyway, here's what I got tonight:



Few more shots are here: http://nik.smugmug.com/gallery/2349848

I must say, this shoot was probably the coldest one I expereince in this area (44F=6.7C, and windy) - what's wrong with this place?

Enjoy!

Great capture, but the size of the subtitle is distracting.

I guess northern Europe has your warm weather - we have 10C at night when typically it should be negative.

Wow! I'm incredibly jealous. I never saw it once, we've had cloud issues. The first night I heard about it I went tearing out with my 100-400, but no luck. Great sequence!

Ravindar,

ravindar bindra said:

Great capture, but the size of the subtitle is distracting.

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Thanks for commenting!
What I didn't get in size/contrast of the primary target I decided to compensate in type;-)

ravindar bindra said:

I guess northern Europe has your warm weather - we have 10C at night when typically it should be negative.

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Not only Europe. My folks in Russia (70 miles S-W from Moscow) tell me that they still don't get the snow, while a regular pattern is to have snow as easrly as November (or even earlier sometimes).

Cheers!

Joel,

Joel Slack said:

Wow! I'm incredibly jealous. I never saw it once, we've had cloud issues. The first night I heard about it I went tearing out with my 100-400, but no luck. Great sequence!

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Thanks!
This is my first time ever seeing the real comet, too.
And I even was lucky enough to have my camera with me (yeah, whom am I kidding? First, I always have my camera with me, second - I went out specifically for that beauty
This was also probably a first time when I used a lot of gear and techniques at the same time:

• Canon 30D + 100-400 (I just love this lens+ TC 1.4
• tripod + head + QR bracket on the lens collar
• (wired) remote trigger
• exposure compensation
• mirror lockup
• and even my brand new dual-axis level to make sure the horizon is OK

Did you stack those images? When you say QR, is that quick release or something I don't know about? I hear you about being ready, my gear is always in the car (in the carport in back of the house). I guess now that I've made that confession, it's a good thing we don't post our addresses here...

It's nice when everything comes together!

Joel,

Joel Slack said:

Did you stack those images?

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Yessir! It was a bit tricky since the light was falling off fast, but I managed

Joel Slack said:

When you say QR, is that quick release or something I don't know about?

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Yes again

Joel Slack said:

I hear you about being ready, my gear is always in the car (in the carport in back of the house). I guess now that I've made that confession, it's a good thing we don't post our addresses here...

It's nice when everything comes together!

Click to expand...

Well, I do keep my gear in my car when I'm in it, but for any prolonged period of time I take it out and carry it with me (which is in 99% either work or home).
Not only leaving it in the car makes it prone to a theft, but it can get very hot here sometimes, I don't want to expose this delicate stuff to an extreme heat on a regular basis...

Cheers!