Comet Ikeya-Zhang on May 18, 2002

1. M13 & comet Ikeya-Zhang

Date & Time: May 18 2002, 26:29 to 26:36, 26:37 to 26:44 JST(+0900)
2 images composed
Optical: TAMRON SP f=300mmF2.8, Aperture: F2.8
Auto-guided with TAKAHASHI JP Equatorial
Camera: VIXEN VX-1
Film: Konica New Centuria 800
Location: Ooizumi vil., Yamanashi pref.


2. f=420mm tele

Date & Time: May 18 2002 26:58 to 27:08, 27:09 to 27:16 JST(+0900)
2 images composed
Optical: TAMRON SP f=300mmF2.8 with conversion lens, f=420mm, Aperture: F4.0
Auto-guided with TAKAHASHI JP Equatorial
Camera: VIXEN VX-1
Film: Konica New Centuria 800
Location: Ooizumi vil., Yamanashi pref.


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

Date & Time: May 18 2002, from 26:38 to 27:02 JST(+0900), 9 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 middle of May 2002, comet Ikeya-Zhang has reduced its brightness about 7th magnitude. The comet was lying near the body of Hercules, and M13 was positioned about 4 degrees from the comet. The coma of comet was a bit bigger than M13, these two objects could be enjoyed with a binocular.
You can see a very faint ion tail being stretched toward south and a fan like dust tail toward west direction.


Kudo-Fujikawa on Dec 29, 2002
Ikeya-Zhang on May 2, 2002

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