Comet Ikeya-Zhang on early morning of Apr 29, 2002


Date & Time: Apr 28 2002, 26:12 to 26:36 JST(+0900), 9 images composed with 50sec. 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


This Ikeya-Zhang's shot has been captured in end of April under full-Moon light. The comet was positioned between Cygnus and Cepheus, I could detect bluish green coma with a brightness of 4th magnitude through a binocular. And this picture shows you a very faint tail nearly vanished by Moonlight stretching toward west.
The coma looks like a globular cluster more diffused than in March. The comet was closest to the Earth in this day, apparent movement was also very rapid.


Ikeya-Zhang on May 2, 2002
Ikeya-Zhang on Apr 14, 2002

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