What a ripper of a comet! Another Christmas special discovered by Australian comet hunter Terry Lovejoy. In the days after Christmas I enjoyed a several late nights photographing this comet and its beautiful tail. So much fun but so much data my computer was grinding to a halt!

29th December

2014-12-29 1450 UT Click to view larger size on SmugMug

Takahashi Epsilon 160 530mm f3.3 CDS-5D (Central DS modified Canon 5D Mark III) A sequence of 85 exposures of 2 mins each at ISO2500 was used to create this video using Adobe Lightroom, After Effects and PixInsight. Five of these 2 minute exposures were combined to create the image above, and the crop showing more detail in globular cluster M79 and the galaxy NGC1886 just above the head of the comet.

Click to view larger size on SmugMug

28th December

2014-12-28 1425 UT Click to view larger size on SmugMug

Takahashi Epsilon 160 530mm f3.3 CDS-5D (Central DS modified Canon 5D Mark III) A sequence of 90 exposures each 2 mins at ISO2500 was used to create this video below. Processed using PixInsight, Adobe After Effects and Lightroom. Five of the exposures were combined for the image above.

27th December

2014-12-27 1445 UT Click to view larger size on SmugMug

Takahashi Epsilon 160 530mm f3.3 CDS-5D (Central DS modified Canon 5D Mark III) A sequence of five exposures of 2 mins each at ISO2500 was used to create this image, using Adobe After Effects, PixInsight and Lightroom.

13th December

13th Dec 2014 ~1300UT Click to view larger size on SmugMug

Vixen R200SS telescope and Canon 60Da Single 4 minute shot at ISO1600 Taken with the Astronomical Society of Victoria's Astrophotography Observatory at the Leon Mow Dark Sky Site.