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Comet Hale-Bopp April-May 1997
Click on the thumbnail image for a larger version.
An editorial note from S. Luzader: During April 1997 I took many pictures on a roll of ASA 100 slide film. After processing, it was discovered that the roll of film had been damaged somehow. Many images are mottled, and many have holes and dirt in the emulsion. I have tried to eliminate as many of the defects as possible, but many remain. Please ignore the deficiencies and focus on the the positive qualities of the pictures. In the descriptions, 8" SCT refers to my Celestron Ultima 8 Schmitt-Cassegrain telescope.
Photo by Steve Luzader
5/4/97, About 9:30 PM EDT from my driveway in Frostburg. Approx. 30 second exposure at prime focus of 8"
SCT at f/10 on Fujichrome Sensia 100 slide film. I was attempting to record some of the
structure that had been visible in the eyepiece but was washed out in earlier images
because they were overexposed. The picture isn't very impressive, but it turned out to be
my very last photo of this great celestial visitor.
Photo by Steve Luzader
4/29/97, 9:06 PM EDT in rural southwestern PA. Approx. 2 minute exposure at prime focus of 8"
SCT at f/10 on Fujichrome Sensia 100 slide film. The large telescope was kept pointed at the
comet's head by viewing through a piggy-back 400 mm focal length wide field telescope
fitted with a 9 mm guiding eyepiece.
Photo by Steve Luzader
4/26/97, 9:33 PM EDT in rural southwestern PA. Approx. 30 second exposure at prime focus of 8"
SCT at f/6.3 (using a focal length reducer/corrector) on Fujichrome Sensia 100 slide film. The
large telescope was guided by viewing through a smaller piggyback telescope.
Photo by Steve Luzader
4/26/97, 9:15 PM EDT in rural southwestern PA. Approx. 5 minute piggyback exposure with 55 mm lens at f/2 on Fujichrome Sensia 100 slide
film. The image has been rotated so vertical is up and cropped to show only about half of the
original. The bright star in the lower right of the image is Atik in Perseus, and the star
directly above the comet is Iota Aurigae. The small curved group of stars in the lower left
of the image is part of Taurus.
Photo by Steve Luzader
4/7/97, 8:57 PM EDT in rural southwestern PA. Approx. 4 minute piggyback exposure with 55 mm lens at f/2.8 on Fujichrome Sensia 100 slide
film. The image has been rotated so vertical is up and cropped to show only about half of the
original. Compare this with the 4/2/97 image. The comet has moved so that M34 is visible at the
lower edge of the dust tail just to the left of the head of the comet. The star near the head
is 5th magnitude 12 Persei. Algol is the bright star at the upper right vertex of the pentagonal
grouping above the comet, and Almach is visible through tree branches near the lower right
corner of the picture.
Photo by Steve Luzader
4/7/97, 8:31 PM EDT in rural southwestern PA. Approx. 2 minute piggyback exposure with 55 mm
lens at f/2.8 on Fujichrome Sensia 100 slide film. The image has been rotated so vertical is
up and cropped to show only about half of the original. Compare this with the 4/2/97 image and
the slightly later 4/7/97 image above. The sky was still quite bright when this picture was
taken.
Photo by Bob Doyle in LaVale, MD.
Approximately 10 sec fixed tripod exposure with 135 mm lens at f/1.8 (!). Although no information
was given, the presence of M34 at the lower edge of the tail and the pentagon of stars above and
to the right of of the comet suggest that the picture was taken on April 7.
Photo by Steve Luzader
4/2/97, 8 PM EST in rural southwestern PA
4 minute piggyback exposure with 300 mm lens at f/5.6 on Fujicolor 400 film
An airplane (or was it the space ship?) flew past the comet during the exposure.
Its track was removed when the image was processed for display.
Photo by Steve Luzader
4/2/97, 8 PM EST in rural southwestern PA
2 minute piggyback exposure with 135 mm lens at f/3.5 on Fujicolor 400 film.
Photo by Steve Luzader
4/2/97, 8 PM EST in rural southwestern PA
1.5 minute piggyback exposure with 55 mm lens at f/2.8 on Fujicolor 400 film
The image is tilted because of the camera's orientation on the guiding telescope.
This is the same image as above, but lightened and rotated so vertical is straight up in the picture.
The bright star near the comet is Almach, and the open cluster M34 is above and to the left of the comet.
Photo by Gus Johnson
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