Comet Machholz - C/2004 Q2

Comet NEAT - C/2001 Q4

The newest images are at the top of the page.
The comments about each image will probably make more sense if you start from the bottom of the page and work up.

	20th May 2004 80mm f5 Konus Refractor Baader IR-UV filter Mogg 0.6 focal reducer Effective focal length = approx 250mm Vesta SC3: 30 x 44 second frames (gain 30%) Stacked using Registax 2 Again just hint of the ion tail but plenty of dust.
	18th May 2004 80mm f5 Konus Refractor Baader IR-UV filter Mogg 0.6 focal reducer Effective focal length = approx 250mm Vesta SC3: 82 x 44 second frames (gain 30%) Stacked using Registax 2
	17th May 2004 80mm f5 Konus Refractor Baader IR-UV filter Mogg 0.6 focal reducer Effective focal length = approx 250mm Vesta SC3: 70 x 44 second frames (gain 30%) Stacked using Registax 2 I don't know what happened to the ion tail after the 15th, it is barely visible if you look carefully - however light pollution probably has quite a bit to do with it, as well as inexperience at imaging comets.
	15th May 2004 80mm f5 Konus Refractor Baader IR-UV filter Mogg 0.6 focal reducer Effective focal length = approx 250mm Vesta SC3: 52 x 44 second frames (gain 30%) Stacked using Registax 2 By far the best of my Comet NEAT images. In fact my favourite comet image so far.
	13th May 2004 150mm f6 Home Made Reflector Vesta SC3: 55 x 18 second frames (gain 30%) Stacked using Registax 2 No tail the 900mm focal length wasn't the best to use for a comet. However it does show the bow-shock where the dust from the comet is driven back by the solar wind.