The K6XX Comet Page

The K6XX Comet Page

Updated 18 July 2020
It certainly has been a long time since this page was edited! More than 20 years.

Comet Hyakutake was the best comet I had ever watched. I followed it for several weeks, taking hundreds of photographs. This one is a 15 minute exposure using a 135mm lens at f/2.8. The camera was mounted on a motor driven equatorial mount. My shots using slide film came out better, but I don't have the proper hardware to scan them for this page.

But that was then! Now, I have seen a REAL comet! Hale-Bopp is extraordinary--here is a quick 2 minute exposure on a fixed tripod taken just before dawn. The camera was only using a 50mm f/1.4 lens, and the film is cheap house-branded 400ASA print film (probably AGFA). With decent film and a proper tracking mount, I imagine my results would be MUCH better. The color in the tails are not artifacts: I could also see them visually. The aluminum on the right is my little rotatable dipole for 40/20/17/15/12/and 10m (the driven element from a Mosley PRO-67B). Illumination is enhanced by my neighbors (all of them) having automatic lighting.

While Hale-Bopp is a bit lower in the sky, the sun was further below the horizon during this exposure.

Twenty-First Century Comets
Now for some more recent photos, using more recent technology not dependent upon the will of the photo-drive up teenager nor the temperature of chemicals.

Comet Lovejoy
A new century brings new technology--no more celluloid. Confirming proper focus is now possible on-site, without waiting a day or so for development. Unnaturally high ASA/ISO sensitivities also helps a lot. By the time a suitable DSLR was obtained, it was midway through the second decade and there no longer were neighbors--with all-night lights or otherwise. The new K6XX QTH was selected for radio purposes, but its distance from many city lights made astrophotography better as well.
The first comet visible with this "new" technology was Comet Lovejoy. It wasn't fantastic, but it had a vivid green color and a noticeably twisted tail.

19 January 2015. 50mm F4, 10 sec, ISO 8000. Nikon D750

20 January 2015. 28mm F2.8, 30 sec, ISO 6400. Nikon D750

Comet Wiraten
Wiraten had no great tail, but its coma was quite photogenic.

13 December 2018. 200mm F2.8, 4 sec, ISO 3200. Nikon D500

13 December 2018. 200mm F2.8, 2 sec, ISO 6400

Comet Neowise (C2020-F3)

To the fateful year 2020, where one of the few good things is this comet's apparition.

8 July 2020. 500mm f4, 3 sec ISO400 D500

9 July 2020. 500mm f4, 2 sec ISO6400 D750

10 July 2020. 200mm f2.8, 4 sec ISO400 D850

10 July 2020. 500mm f4, 2 sec ISO6400 D750

Morning of 13 July 2020. 200mm f2.8, 2 sec ISO400 D850

Now Neowise is far enough north that it is visible both in the morning and in the evening. The moon has been a problem with the morning appearance, washing out the tail. But it is gone after sunset, where dusk colors add to the beauty. Many trees block my horizon in this direction, so I must climb a tower to catch a view. Tower climbing at night is an adventure in itself...

Evening of 13 July 2020. 200mm f2.8, 2 sec ISO1600 D850

Evening of 14 July 2020. 200mm f2.8, 1 sec ISO6400 D850

Morning of 15 July 2020. 200mm f2.8, 1 sec ISO1600 D850
It just is not as nice in the morning as it is after sunset.
As I waited atop the tower in the evening, clouds rolled in from the Pacific and the comet wasn't visible. I got lazy and didn't awake to see it the next morning.

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