Comet Ikeya-Zhang on Mar 30, 2002

1. f=300mm tele

Date & Time: Mar 30 2002, from 19:05 to 19:19 JST(+0900)
4 images composed with 4min. exposed
Optical: TAMRON SP f=300mmF2.8, Aperture: F3.5
Auto-guided with TAKAHASHI EM-200 Equatorial
Camera: VIXEN VX-1
Film: Fujicolor SUPERIA 400
Location: Ooizumi vil., Yamanashi pref.


2. Digital Camera(equivalent f=560mm in 35mm film format)

Date & Time: Mar 30 2002, 19:03 to 19:12 JST(+0900), 9 images composed with 16sec. exposed
Optical: Tokina AT-X828 (f=200mm, F2.8), afocal method with LV12mm eyepiece
Synthesized focal length f=105mm (equivalent f=560mm in 35mm film format)
Auto-guided with TAKAHASHI EM-200 Equatorial
Digital Camera: OLYMPUS C-2020Z
Location: Ooizumi vil., Yamanashi pref.

Camera Settings: Mode...SHQ (1600×1200 High quality JPEG format)
Lens...f=6.6mm (equivalent f=35mm in 35mm film format), stop: F2.0
CCD sensitivity...ISO400, White Balance...Daylight


3. Digital Camera(equivalent f=1600mm in 35mm film format)

Date & Time: Mar 30 2002, from 19:05 to 19:17 JST(+0900), 4 images composed with 60sec. exposed
Optical: TAKAHASHI 12.5cm(4.9") fluorite refractor, afocal method with LV25mm eyepiece
Synthesized focal length f=240mm (equivalent f=1600mm in 35mm film format)
Auto-guided with GOTO MX-II equatorial
Digital Camera: CASIO QV-2800UX
Location: Ooizumi vil., Yamanashi pref.

Camera settings: Mode...1600×1200 FINE
Lens...f=6.0mm (equivalent f=40mm in 35mm film format), stop: F3.2
CCD sensitivity...ISO320, White Balance...Daylight


In end of March, comet Ikeya-Zhang passed the perihelion is traveling in the constellation of Andromeda, observed in lower northwest evening sky with a visual brightness of about 4th magnitude. Although the comet's tail was stretched toward east in March, in this day the direction of tail has changed to north because the comet has moved to northern area of the sun. I could detect the dust tail being stretched about 3 degrees through a binocular, and these pictures shows you the tail is a bit curved.
In the after April 2002, comet Ikeya-Zhang will make a round to eastern sky in dawn, and can be seen in better sky conditions although the brightness will fall a little.


Ikeya-Zhang on Apr 14, 2002
Ikeya-Zhang on Mar 16, 2002

Copyright(c) 2002 by Naoyuki Kurita, All rights reserved.
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