Observation by Alex Pratt: Comet C/2020 F3 (NEOWISE) - 2020 Jul 12

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Constellation

Auriga

Field centre

RA: 06^h28^m
Dec: +44°26'
Position angle: -11°44'

Field size

25° × 17°

Equipment

Canon EOS 500D
18-55mm kit lens - 35mm @ f/4.5
ISO 1600
DeepSkyStacker

Exposure

4 x 5s exposures

Location

Leeds, West Yorkshire

Target name

Comet C/2020 F3 (NEOWISE) - 2020 Jul 11

Title

Comet C/2020 F3 (NEOWISE) - 2020 Jul 12

About this image

One of the challenges of astronomy is observing from home, with the problems of suburban light pollution and obstructed views. I have a good horizon to the NW but from N to NE it is obscured by trees.

My Leeds_N video meteor camera operates from indoors looking through double glazing, sited on a window sill in the front bedroom. The attached image is a stack of 4 x 5s exposures taken with a DSLR plonked alongside the meteor camera. The dark lines are my neighbours' telephone wires. Over the next hour or so the comet traversed the bare branches of the tree on the right.

As well as taking some 'pretty pictures' it was great to observe the comet in 10x50 binoculars which revealed details well beyond my abilities to sketch. It was also visible to the naked eye, which brought back memories of observing Hale-Bopp in its pomp.

Files associated with this observation

2020F3_20200712_0052_ARP.jpg (1.4 MB)

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Len Entwisle, Jeremy Shears, Ray Emery, David Basey, Peter Carson

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