Dual Tailed Comet

Comet C/2014 Q1 (Panstarrs) was just a little higher in the sky tonight but it was still lower and dimmer than Venus and Jupiter – and also still lurking in the difficult Western twilight  sky. A crescent Moon was also in proximity.

All images were taken using my 60D DSLR on a fixed tripod with no tracking.

2015-07-19 Comet C2014 Q1Panstarrs 10x2sec 200mm f2.8 ISO1000 (c) R. Powell

2015-07-19 Comet C2014 Q1 Panstarrs 10x2sec 200mm f2.8 ISO1000 Inverted (c) R.Powell

2015-07-19 Comet C2014 Q1Panstarrs 9x2sec 200mm f2.8 ISO1600 (c) R.Powell

2015-07-19 Comet C2014 Q1 Panstarrs 9x2sec 200mm f2.8 ISO1600 Inverted (c) R.Powell

2015-07-19 Comet C2014 Q1 Panstarrs (lower left), Jupiter & Venus (c) R.Powell

2015-07-19 Comet C2014 Q1 Panstarrs & Helicopter Flyby (c) R.Powell

2015-07-19 Moon, Venus, Regulus, Jupiter & Plane Flyby (Comet behind the clouds!) (c) R.Powell

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EDIT: I tried to image the comet again two days later. It had risen into a slightly darker background sky and I used a light pollution filter on my camera this time, to reduce the stray light over the City of Campbelltown. Despite this, the image was lower quality, possibly influenced by the waxing Moon.

I estimate the visible gas tail to be less than half a degree now and the magnitude perhaps around +5. For the record:

2015-07-21 12×2.5sec 200mm f2.8 ISO 1600 DSS PS.jpg

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All images © R.Powell

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