Comet C/2014 Q2 Lovejoy
Taken by Jason Evans on January 31, 2015 @ Eastleigh, Hampshire, UK
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  Camera Used: Canon Canon PowerShot A640
Exposure Time: 150/10
Aperture: f/4.5
ISO: Unavailable
Date Taken: 2015:01:31 01:14:20
  
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I dont know if my eyes are playing tricks on me, or if this is some kind of camera anomaly, something to do with the noise in the photo or something? but I can see a faint streak extending up and slightly left from the comet up to a small triangle of faint stars, could this possibly be the tail? It probably isnt and I know that it tales some decent equipment, skill and some software to allow stacking to get an image of the tail, and this is just one single 15 second exposure, f/4.5 ISO 400, with a compact camera (Canon Powershot A640)on a tripod shooting out the window of my home. Also there was the glare from the moon. I have captured the tail of C/2013 R1 Lovejoy with the same camera. hopefully someone will upload a photo that shows the tail and the background stars from the same date and if it matches up with what i have then it could be evidence it is the tail, just as it could prove that it isnt! I would be interested if anyone can confirm this is the tail or just a defect on the sensor.
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Comments
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Jason, I wasnt photographing the comet when you were. But when I copied your image and knocked out most of the noise, I couldnt see evidence of a comet tail. Still, not too bad for a compact camera. Try it again with less moonlight and a darker camera location.
Posted by JohnAshley 2015-01-30 22:56:05
HiJason, Ive uploaded a couple of images from earlier in the night, single shots with no post processing, and starchart. the tail is just visible pointing to 1 oclock, although with the moonlight its hard to see.
Posted by markbuxton 2015-01-31 02:44:34
It must be just noise then, i really should have known. Considering I have other images from when there was no moon and no tail is visible in those. Now I wonder if my photo of Comet C2013 R1 does show the tail as I was once sure of but its almost exactly the same position as it appears in this photo so it could be some kind of defect. Still at least there was Pan Starrs, theres no doubt I got the tail on that one!
Posted by Jay1 2015-02-02 17:41:50
 
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