Celestial hemisphere:  Northern  ·  Constellation: Auriga (Aur)  ·  Contains:  Solar system body or event
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Comet Neowise detail, Shannon Calvert
Comet Neowise detail
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Comet Neowise detail

Getting plate-solving status, please wait...
Comet Neowise detail, Shannon Calvert
Comet Neowise detail
Powered byPixInsight

Comet Neowise detail

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Description

Now that I knew the comet was visible from Westport, I set out to find an unobstructed view of the horizon. A small park overlooking a salt marsh near Compo Beach looked perfect. I knew from earlier visits and Google streetview that there were no gates or barriers, but I drove down there to make sure. Good thing I did because there we're newly-installed steel posts with chains blocking off the entrance. Another small beach down the road with adjacent street parking looked like a better bet. I returned at 3:15am, anxious to capture detailed views with my big equatorial mount and a Takahashi refractor, only to find that the beach faced into bright streetlights from a marina directly in front of the comet. I resigned to walking back to the salt marsh with just the Star Adventurer and a camera lens, but the comet was spectacular– easily visible to the naked eye!

I grabbed 27 clear frames, plus flats and darks, but haven't been able to stack them properly even with Pixinsight's comet alignment module, so the comet is slightly stretched. I should eventually be able to pull out the blue ion tail if I can get these stacked right.

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Comet Neowise detail, Shannon Calvert