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Comet C/2009 P1 Garradd, 2011 September

 

This comet, discovered in 2009, has been measured (by others) to have an orbital eccentricity of 1.001011. So its orbit is hyperbolic rather than elliptical and it will not return to the Solar System.

 2011 September 28

Canon EOS 5D MkII ISO6400 32x30s 254mm Newtonian f/9.6 (f=2400mm, Barlow)
HEQ5 mount, driven but not guided 2011 Sep 28 21:24:27-21:43:09 UT
From Rookhope 54.8N 2.1W 330m asl. Rural, almost no light pollution (3 Bortles)

 2011 September 21

Canon EOS 5DMkII 254mm Newtonian @2400mm (2x Barlow) f/9.6 ISO6400 33x30s 2011-9-21 21:26:34-21:45:23UT
From Rookhope 54.8N 2.1W 330m asl. Rural, almost no light pollution (3 Bortles)

On HEQ5 mount, driven but not guided.

The 33 separate half-minute exposures of my photo have been stacked (using GRIP) so that the comet appears to remain stationary while the stars trail past. The area shown is 0.42° x 0.30°. Using GRIP again I measured the trail lengths as 0.010°. Elapsed time was 18m49s = 1129s so the comet was moving at 0.010 x 86400 / 1129 = 0.77°/day.

 2011 September 14

Canon EOS 5DMkII 254mm Newtonian @2400mm (2x Barlow) f/9.6 ISO6400 38x30s 2011-9-14 21:03:54-21:28:13UT
From Rookhope 54.8N 2.1W 330m asl. Rural, almost no light pollution (3 Bortles)

On HEQ5 mount, driven but not guided. I used a 2 inch (5.08 cm) 2x Barlow lens for increased magnification.

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