Designation |
C/2001 Q4 (NEAT) |
Object type |
Comet |
Coordinates at exposure time |
07h48min -06°14' (Monoceros) |
Description |
The comet features a triple
multicolor and multidirectional tail and a beautiful turquoise color.
This image was taken around the date of its expected maximum brightness
when C/2001 Q4 was only 0.33 AU away. (AU = astronomical unit = distance from sun to earth)
The top image was processed for maximum structural
detail. The oblique
streaks illustrate the comet's movement in front of the
background stars: about 5 arcminutes during the 23 minute imaging session.
The bottom image was processed for better aesthetic appeal.
The field is just under 2 degrees wide with south
towards the top. |
Exposure |
RGB 6:6:6 min @ -15°C - 2x2 -
all exposures 40 s. |
Guiding |
SmartGuide, Astro-Physics'
variable rate tracking tool |
Camera |
SBIG ST-10XE + SBIG CFW-8 with
Astrodon Tru-Balance filter set. |
Optics |
Astro-Physics 105mm Traveler with
0.75x reducer |
Mount |
Astro-Physics AP900GTO |
Software |
MaxIm DL/CCD, Sigma Pre Beta 11, Adobe
Photoshop CS |
Location - Date - Time |
San Esteban (Chile) - 09May2004 -
01:00 UTC |
Conditions |
Transparency 6, Seeing 6, Temperature
+15°C |