This is a single-frame image of Saturn and Comet Lulin I took at my brother’s place in Mountsberg, on February 23, 2009, at approximately 10:53pm. Equipment: Canon Digital Rebel 300D; Tamron 300mm f/2.8 lens set at f/4. ISO 1600; 63 second exposure. Colour balanced and gamma-corrected.
— Bob Christmas
Here is a quick sketch I made at 11:03 tonight of Comet Lulin as it passes by Saturn. I used a 4.25″ Astroscan telescope at about 50x for the sketch. The comet appeared as a dim, oval- shaped patch oriented roughly east-west. The little scope was bouncing in the breeze and I couldn’t detect any detail in the comet. It appeared uniform in brightness to me.
Ann T.
Here is a puzzle for you all, and I hope it is one that you can solve, since I really want to know the answer!
A few minutes ago I was outside, binocular viewing from here at my Hamilton home. I had some nice views of the usual suspects like M42 and the Pleiades, but I was really there to have a look at Venus and see if I could see the crescent phase of Venus through both my 10x60s and my 15x70s (the answer was ‘yes’ in both).
Casting my eye around the sky I noticed a bright star in the east and pondered for a moment, since there is no star that bright in that part of the sky. Sure enough it was movng and certainly a satellite, as it was moving at a steady pace and direction and showed nothing more than a snigle, steady light. It brightened considerably until it was about mag -2 or -3 (brighter than Sirius but not quite as bright as Venus). I was certain that it was the ISS, since only the space station could appear that bright, but it seemed to be moving rather slow for the station. I checked on the Heavens-Above web site (http://www.heavens-above.com/?lat=43.250&lng=-79.833&alt=92&loc=Hamilton&TZ=EST), and no ISS passes were scheduled at that time. In fact, nothing that bright was scheduled and nothing following the path I obseved this object on was was scheduled either. There was one satellite that matches the times perfectly, but not the orbital path (http://www.heavens-above.com/PassDetails.asp?Size=600&SatID=16182&lat=43.250&lng=-79.833&alt=92&loc=Hamilton&TZ=EST&Date=39867.0031120895)
So here’s what I know:
-Visible at 7:00 to 7:03pm (at it highest), Feb 22
-moving east to northwest ( from the head of Leo to just above the bowl of the Big Dipper then past the Little Dipper then fading)
-mag -3 (but fading as it moved past north)
-moving slower than the ISS usually seems to (which indicates a higher orbit)
-even through my binoclars it appeared as a single, steady point of light
Good luck, team! Let me know what you think.
I’ve just finished checking out Comet Lulin (C/2007 N3). It’s 4:43am, -5C in the backyard but feels colder. The Sky Quality Meter has just given a reading of 19.65 which is the highest “score” I’ve had at the dobservatory, to-date. That’s a theoretical naked eye limiting magnitude of 5.3 but without checking a chart I dispute that rating because, despite a slight breeze, the transparency isn’t so great.
I located Lulin first with 10×50 binoculars – it appeared as a fairly substantial, gray, hazy patch, not terribly bright yet a fairly easy catch.
The 12″ dob revealed it as a small globular-like entity with a bright core and distinct halo within which was star TYC 4939-278-1. The star and the core appeared to be close in brightness. The star is listed as mag. 7.8 but I expect that would be slightly dimmed by the comet halo in front of it. And the apparent magnitude of both items would of course be affected by the less than great transparency.
That’s the extent of my comet sighting but I couldn’t pack up without a look at Saturn. Even with the rings practically “closed’, it is still an amazing sight.
At high power (214x) I struggled see a fragment of Cassini’s Division. Did I, didn’t I, was it my imagination, an artifact of the seeing? I can’t say for sure but I was able to make out the thinnest ring shadow line across the planet and both North and South Equatorial belts along with Titan, Dionne and Rhea off the one flank.
End of report – I’m going back to bed.
Glenn – out.
UPDATE: 9:40am On checking out a simulation of Saturn it would appear that the gap between the rings and the planet is much more pronounced at this time than any part of Cassini’s Division that would still be visible. Since I definitely did not notice the larger gap I would have to say that I also didn’t see C.D. Perhaps a dark coloured filter to cut some glare would help.
Glenn
This one was a late image. I took it during the ‘Night Sky Live in Binbrook’ last month. It was a great night and despite the cold, we all had fun. I imaged this the same way that I did the Scenic milkyway shot. I thought it looked cool to include the frame with the car lights shining on the base of the tree trunks. Hope you all like it!
KerryLH
Larger version:
http://www.weatherandsky.com/main.php?g2_view=core.ShowItem&g2_itemId=5065&g2_imageViewsIndex=3
Sunday night while driving home I saw this really interesting view of a double iridescent halo around the moon when it was shining through cirrocumuls clouds. I checked the weather observations at Hamilton Airport and they reported these clouds to be around 20,000 ft high. I took several images of this when I got home and layered in some shorter exposures of the moon to represent the scene as I saw it. The dark column below the halo I realized came from a passing high altitude jet.
Wideview taken with the Sigma 17-70mm.
CLose up taken with a Canon 100mm lens
KerryLH
Hopefully the skies will clear and the temperature will moderate somewhat so that we can view Comet Lulin as it increases in brightness (possibly to magnitude 5) this month.
Comet Lulin is presently in Libra, rising into view by about 2:00 a.m.. According to Sky & Telescope?s website, the comet will be within 2 degrees of Saturn on Feb. 23 ? a great photo opportunity for our astrophotographers! (hint, hint)
Here is a link to the article on Sky & Tel?s website: www.skyandtelescope.com/observing/highlights/35992534.html
You can also google “Comet Lulin” and enjoy surfing through the results while we wait for a break in the dreary winter weather to get a chance to observe this new addition to our night sky.
Ann Tekatch
From now until March 1st you have the opportunity to vote on the next target for Hubble to image. Go to the following site where you can choose from 6 “possibles”.
http://youdecide.hubblesite.org/
If you vote, you can also be entered into a draw to win a print of the chosen target.
Good luck,
Glenn
Attired for the frigid environment of Space, Gail and I arrived at the Binbrook gate just after 7pm. The ever-cheerful Steve Germann waved us in and we became the caboose to a train of cars halted by a pile of snow across the road.
Always prepared, the HAA road crew attacked it with shovels and before you could say ?backhoe? we were looking for a spot to park. Our usual spot on the hill was not accessible but one of the parking lots had been cleared and that became base camp.
We had a good turnout. I estimated about 20 people with nearly half of that number being new to the club, or relatively so. It didn?t take long for John Gauvreau to gather a group and begin giving his tour of the sky; and a very entertaining and informative tour it was.
The cold managed to kill 3 laser pointers but didn?t cool John?s passion for his subject or the interest of those who joined his journey through the constellations.
A few scopes were set up and Gail and I had brought our binocular box which also garnered some interest as binoculars were the preferred instrument of the night.
We spent a few minutes helping Jeff and Andreas, who were at Binbrook for the first time, set up the (Bushnell?) reflector they?d been given. After about five minutes of playing around we managed to get the Orion Nebula in the eyepiece.
By 9pm the temperature had dropped to ?15C. It became a challenge to keep toes and fingers frostbite free so we reluctantly packed up. This was probably the second coldest publicized HAA event we?ve been to but, in wintertime, you?ve got to take advantage of clear nights when you get them. It was great to get out under the night sky with our favourite kindred spirits, and to make some new acquaintances, and we hope to do so again, very soon.
Glenn and Gail
A long exposure showing the group… only a few stood still enough for the camera – KerryLH
I found a small, Olympus binocular pouch after this Saturday’s Sky This Month presentation at Binbrook Conservation Area. The owner can contact me by email: tekatch(at)sympatico (dot) ca.
Ann Tekatch
