Comet C2004 Q2 Macholz

After a long time with bad weather, I could take my first pictures of this comet, still low above the horizon and in the light pollution of nearby city Veurne.

Taken on 16 December 2004 between 22:39 and 23:03 UT, the LRGB image consists of 6 x1 minute Luminance and 5 images each in RGB, also 1 minute exposure. Astrodon LRGB filters were used in my SBIG ST-10XME camera at -20°C, 1x1 binning. Telescope: Takahashi FS-128 at f/6. Guiding was done via compensation in the AstroElectronic FS-2 drive controller, however it seems to me that the data given in The Sky 6 for RA drift was not correct, so there is a guiding error present.

19 December 2004 between 21:45 and 22:40 UT with a TMB 80 mm APO refractor and SBIG ST-10XME with Astrodon filters.

10 luminance images of 2 minutes each at 1x1 binning, RGB images: 5 in each colour, 2 minutes at 2x2 binning. The moon was approaching its first quarter, lightening up sky background. A faint gas tail is visible pointing up and a second tail is visible pointing towards the "5 o'clock" position in this image.

12 January 2005

This is a LRGB image made with my SBIG ST-10XME and a TMB 80 mm refractor. Luminance = 30 x 1 m, Red = Green = Blue = 20 x 1 m 2x2 binning. Astrodon filters in the CFW-8a, rather hazy conditions.

13 January 2005

The detail images above where made with my SBIG ST-10XME camera in 2x2 binning with my Celestron 14 @ f/7. The first image is the LRGB version, Luminance = red = green = blue = 15 x 30 s, Astrodon filters in the CFW-8a. The second image is only the luminance image, treated with DDP and Larson-Sekanina filters to bring out the faint jets spurting out from the comet.