COMET 2006A1 (Pojmanski) - PHOTOS AND OBSERVATIONS. Possum Observatory
Newly discovered in early January 2006, Comet Pojmanski could be quite bright (mag 5) in late February 2006. The following are my images and observations...
The following (possibly unreliable due to few observations) was extracted from GUIDE 8.0 software...
Perihelion distance 0.5674800 AU
Orbital elements:
Eccentricity 1.0000000
Inclination of orbit 93.2303000 degrees
Argument of perihelion 350.4993000 degrees
Long. ascending node 212.2754000 degrees
Date of perihelion JD 2453789.17070 (22 Feb 2006 16:05:48)
The following are some images I took of it with a Canon EOS 10D digital SLR. Observations and daily ephemerides lower down.
| CLICK ON IMAGE FOR A LARGER VIEW... | DETAILS: | |
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Date (UT): Scope: Camera: Exposures and ISO: NOTES: |
Fri 24.66 Feb 2006 (UT) (16:00-16:15) 41cm (16") f4.5 Meade Newtonian Canon EOS 10D digital SLR 14 x 1 minute @ 800 ASA. FOV = ~35' x 22' 13 degree altitude in ESE. Mag 5.2, Size: 4', DC: 7/9. N=down,E=right |
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Date (UT): Scope: Camera: Exposures and ISO: NOTES: |
Wed 22.66 Feb 2006 (UT) (15:45-16:15) 70-200mm Sigma lens @ 200mm @ f2.8 Canon EOS 10D digital SLR 10 x 1-3 minute @ 800 ASA Tail is ~5 degrees long. 24 day Moon. 13 degree altitude. Mag 5.3, Size: 4', DC: 7/9 |
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Date (UT): Scope: Camera: Exposures and ISO: NOTES: |
Friday 18.65-67 Feb 2006 (UT) (15:45-16:15) 70-200mm Sigma lens @ 200mm @ f3.5 Canon EOS 10D digital SLR 28 x 30-60 sec @ 800 ASA 18 day Moon. Mag ~5.8, Size: 3', DC: 7. Cut down Macrocarpa tree for this image! |
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Date (UT): Scope: Camera: Exposures and ISO: NOTES: |
Sunday 12.64-66 Feb 2006 (UT) 20cm (8") f4.6 Vixen RS200 Newtonian Canon EOS 10D digital SLR 31 x 30 sec - 2 minute @ 800 ASA 13 day Moon. 15 degree altitude. Comet is mag 6.0, Size: 3', DC: 6 |
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Date (UT): Scope: Camera: Exposures and ISO: NOTES: |
Saturday 07.50-.54 Jan 2006 (UT) 41cm (16") f4.5 Meade Newtonian Canon EOS 10D digital SLR 15 x 2 and 4 minute @ 800 ASA Comet is mag 10.1, Size: 3', DC: 3 |
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Date (UT): Scope: Camera: Exposures and ISO: NOTES: |
Friday 06 Jan 2006 (UT) 41cm (16") f4.5 Meade Newtonian Canon EOS 10D digital SLR 37 x 1 and 2minute @ 800 ASA Comet is mag 10.5 |
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Date (UT): Scope: Camera: Exposures and ISO: NOTES: |
Friday 06 Jan 2006 - 0900 hours (UT) 41cm (16") f4.5 Meade Newtonian Canon EOS 10D digital SLR 1 x 1 minute @ 800 ASA (FOV: 42' x 27') No darks, no stretching, North is up, East is left |
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Date (UT): Scope: Camera: Exposures and ISO: NOTES: |
Friday 06 Jan 2006 - 1000 hours (UT) 41cm (16") f4.5 Meade Newtonian Canon EOS 10D digital SLR 1 x 1 minute @ 800 ASA (FOV: 42' x 27') No darks, no stretching, North is up, East is left |
Visual Observations:
C/2006 A1 (Pojmanski). 2006 January 06 .40 UT: m1 = 10.5, Dia.=
2'.5, DC = 2, 41cm f4.5 Reflect (83x). John Drummond, (Gisborne, New Zealand)
[Was easy to spot this (A1) newly discovered comet through my 41cm (16")
Dob - even with the 6 day Moon in the evening sky (I have a dark, rural sky).
C/2006A1 appears as a diffuse coma with no noticeable central condensation.
Used three stars for a mag estimate (s). No evident tail. 29d alt in the SW.
Stellar LM =14.3 (scope)].
C/2006 A1 2006 January 07 .56 UT: m1 = 10.2, Dia. = 3'.0, DC
= 3, 41cm f4.5 Reflect (59x). John Drummond, (Gisborne, New Zealand) [C/2006
A1 easy to see thru the 16" even though it is low down. The coma seems
to be slightly more condensed than last night(?) but still appears rather
diffuse. No evident tail. 15d alt in the South. No Moon (set), dark rural
sky. Stellar LM near comet =15.0 (scope)].
C/2006 A1 (Pojmanski) 2006 January 08.62 UT: m1 = 10.1, Dia.=
3'.0, DC = 3, 41cm f4.5 Reflect (59x). John Drummond, (Gisborne, New Zealand)
[C/2006 A1 appears similar to last night.. The coma still looks diffuse with
a very gradual central condensation. No tail evident. 15d alt in the South.
No Moon (set), dark rural sky. Stellar LM near comet =15.0 (scope)].
C/2006 A1 (Pojmanski) 2006 January 11.42 UT: m1 = 10.1, Dia.=
2'.0, DC = 4, 41cm f4.5 Reflect (86x). John Drummond, (Gisborne, New Zealand)
[C/2006 A1 fairly easily seen in the bright (11 day) moonlight - although
the faint outer shroud of coma was lost to the bright sky (thus the coma size
is smaller than previous observations). No tail seen 21? alt in the SW. Stellar
LM = 13.5 near comet (scope)].
C/2006 A1 (Pojmanski) 2006 February 12.65 UT: m1 = 6.0, Dia.=
3'.0, DC = 6, 8cm f7.5 Refract (35x)...John Drummond, (Gisborne, New Zealand)
[Observed C/2006 A1 during full Moon. Easy to see the head. Much more condensed
that my last observation (11 Jan, DC:4). I may be losing some outer coma (hence
size) to the bright, moonlit sky. No tail seen - lost in the moonlight, but
evident in tonight's photos (10' tail seen in 41cm scope). 16° alt in
the SE. Stellar LM = ~10 near comet (scope)].
C/2006 A1 (Pojmanski) 2006 February 21.67 UT: m1 = 5.4, Dia.= 4'.0, DC = 7, 15x70B...John Drummond, (Gisborne, New Zealand) [C/2006 easily seen in the 15x70 binoculars. Bright, condensed nucleus, with some fainter outer coma. Tail visible for about 15' (at least 3degrees in tonight's photos). 17? alt in the SE. Stellar LM = ~10 near comet (binocs)].
C/2006 A1 (Pojmanski) 2006 February 22.67 UT: m1 = 5.3, Dia.= 4'.0, DC = 7, 15x70B...John Drummond, (Gisborne, New Zealand) [C/2006 displays a bright, condensed nucleus, with some fainter outer coma. The head looks awesome in the 16" scope. Tail visible for about 15' (at least 5 degrees in tonight's photos). 15? alt in the SE. Stellar LM = ~10 near comet (binocs)].
C/2006 A1 - 5 day positions. Please note that these ephemerides
may change over of time...