JeffPo's Comet Page
Last update: 10/16/24
Below you will find images of some comets I've observed. The pictures don't really do the comets justice. I think the best view of a comet is done with the naked eye if it's a big and bright one. After that, I think a binocular view is best. My images aren't the best, and don't have much processing done, but are put out here in their simplest form so that I can quickly and easily share them with anyone that might be interested.
Comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS
Comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS is currently a naked eye visible comet in the western evening sky. It dazzled in the morning sky before rounding the sun and becoming an evening object. It will rise higher and higher each night, but it's also on the way out so it will be dimming. It will be 80 thousand years before it comes back for another visit.
Comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS, October 13, 2024, over Harris Lake, North Carolina. About a 10 second exposure on my digital SLR camera.
Comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS, October 14, 2024, over Harris Lake, North Carolina. Taken about 8:00pm with my iPhone 12. A few seconds exposure. The dust tail is at least 14 degrees in this image. You can also see a hint of the anti-tail "ahead" of the comet. The anti-tail consists of larger dust particles that are less affected by the sun's solar pressure. They remain in the orbital plane of the comet and we see them when the earth passes through that orbital plane. It basically points toward the sun. The main dust tail basically points away from the sun because the sun's radiation pressure pushes it back.
Comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS, October 16, 2024, My Fuquay Varina backyard, NC. That's my beautiful bride Lynn, taking a gander at the comet with binoculars. The full moon behind us made the picture look like it was taken in the middle of day. Taken with my iPhone.
Comet NEOWISE
Comet NEOWISE, July 10, 2020, 4:52am, Fuquay Varina, NC. About a 15 second exposure with a camera on a tripod.
Comet NEOWISE, July 12, 2020, 4:45am, Jordan Lake, NC. About a 25 second exposure with a camera on a tripod.
Comet NEOWISE, July 12, 2020, 5:14am, Jordan Lake, NC. My wife Lynn sitting in a chair observing the comet. About a 15 second exposure with a camera on a tripod.
Comet PanSTARRS
Comet PanSTARRS, taken on March 12, 2013. Canon digital SLR camera with 80mm-200mm zoom. Approximately 5 seconds exposure time. Comet was low in the western, evening sky, easily seen with the naked eye.
Comet Ikeya-Zhang
This
is an image of Comet Ikeya-Zhang, taken on March 10, 2002 with an 80mm lens.
Comet Hale-Bopp
This is an image of Comet
Hale-Bopp with a meteor to the upper left of ion tail. This image
was taken on the morning of 03/09/97 with a 50mm lens, 400asa film, and about
a 2 minute exposure. Click on the image (or links) to see more
(and better) pictures of Comet Hale-Bopp.
Comet Hyakutake
This
rather light polluted shot is Comet Hyakutake. This 50mm shot was taken
on March 22, 1996. The bright star to the upper right of the tail is
Arcturus.