Comet Schwassmann-Wachmann 3 on early morning of May 21, 2006


Date & Time: (Component C)May 20 2006, from 26:33 to 26:44 JST(+0900), 2min.×4shots
(Component B)May 20 2006, from 26:51 to 26:57 JST(+0900), 2min.×4shots
Optical: TAKAHASHI 16cm(6.3") epsilon (f=530mm, F3.3)
with IDAS LPS-P1 Light-pollution supression filter
Auto-guided with TAKAHASHI EM-200 Equatorial
Digital Camera: Nikon D70 (Remodeled)
Location: Subashiri halfway up Mt. Fuji, Shizuoka pref.

Camera Settings: Recording Format...12bit CCD-RAW, converted to 16bit TIFF(3008×2000)
CCD Sensitivity...ISO1000


This set of images shows you the comet Schwassmann Wachmann 3 after two weeks separation. Components C and B have been positioned in Pisces and Pegasus respectively paralleling in north south direction, separation is about 5.5 degrees. The comet has gone off into the distance drastically after its closest in May 11, visual brightness of C and B are 7th and 9th magnitude, respectively. I could not capture those clear images because of haze and light of last quarter of Moon.
The component C has a fairly striking central concentration, but the B has a dimmed and elongated figure. Both nuclei have dust tails with those length of 20 or 30 arc minutes.


Schwassmann Wachmann 3 on Sep 23, 2006
Schwassmann Wachmann 3 on May 3 & 4, 2006

Copyright(c) 2006 by Naoyuki Kurita, All rights reserved.
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