Posters
Posters have been made from six of the images that appear below. They can be viewed here.
Copyright
My lack of any formal statement on these pages has caused some confusion about the ownership and use of the images
on these pages.
All images on this page are copyright Robert H. McNaught. They can be freely used at the resolution given here
on any web site, presentation or educational publication that is non-commercial, provided that appropriate credit is given.
It is requested however that no more
than three images be used, otherwise a link should be given to this page. These images were obtained by Rob McNaught
with his own equipment in his own time and are not the property of the ANU. There have been so many requests for
high resolution copies of these images that I ask that all enquiries for these to go directly to Science Photo Library.
2007 Jan 18
C/2006 P1 on Jan 18, 10:22 UT. Photo: R. H. McNaught, Siding Spring Observatory. Canon 5D, 135mm, f/2.0, 2 sec exp., ISO 1600
Viewing the comet's tail with the naked eye at the time of the above image, the appearance was very strongly that of de Cheseaux's
wookcut of the 1744 comet, long believed to have had six separate tails. Even the circumstances of the observation were similar to de
Cheseaux's, but in the case of P1, we know these are not separate tails but structures within a single dust tail (be these structures
synchrones or striae). This presumably is the explanation of de Cheseaux's drawing.
2007 Jan 19
C/2006 P1 on Jan 19, 10:22 UT. Photo: R. H. McNaught, Siding Spring Observatory. Canon 5D, 135mm, f/2.2, 30 sec exp., ISO 200
C/2006 P1 on Jan 19, 10:28 UT. Photo: R. H. McNaught, Siding Spring Observatory. Canon 5D, 50mm, f/2.0, 30 sec exp., ISO 200
2007 Jan 20
Note that the camera mount has been moved from yesterday, so the grass tree is in a different azimuth.
However the images cover the same angular field of view on the sky as yesterday, so it is clear how the tail
has enlarged in 24 hours. All images on this page are uncropped.
C/2006 P1 on Jan 20, 10:26 UT. Photo: R. H. McNaught, Siding Spring Observatory. Canon 5D, 50mm, f/2.8, 90 sec exp., ISO 200
C/2006 P1 on Jan 20, 10:46 UT. Photo: R. H. McNaught, Siding Spring Observatory. Canon 5D, 50mm, f/2.0, 50 sec exp., ISO 640
C/2006 P1 on Jan 20, 10:38 UT. Photo: R. H. McNaught, Siding Spring Observatory. Canon 5D, 135mm, f/2.0, 120 sec exp., ISO 200
2007 Jan 21
Widespread cloud. Not practical to drive to clear skies.
2007 Jan 22
Cloud at SSO required a dash to the west and then south to escape encroaching cloud. Ended up near Dubbo with the lights of Narromine
to the right of the setting comet.
C/2006 P1 on Jan 22, 10:55 UT. Photo: R. H. McNaught, near Dubbo, NSW. Canon 5D, 135mm, f/2.0, 50 sec exp., ISO 400
C/2006 P1 on Jan 22, 11:12 UT. Photo: R. H. McNaught, near Dubbo, NSW. Canon 5D, 50mm, f/2.0, 110 sec exp., ISO 400
2007 Jan 23
Widespread cloud. Not practical to drive to clear skies.
2007 Jan 24
Cloud at SSO, so headed south eventually setting up about 40km SW of Dubbo.
C/2006 P1 on Jan 24, 10:39 UT. Photo: R. H. McNaught, near Dubbo, NSW. Canon 5D, 50mm, f/2.8, 360 sec exp., ISO 400. Medium combine of 3x120sec exps
C/2006 P1 on Jan 24, 10:49 UT. Photo: R. H. McNaught, near Dubbo, NSW. Canon 5D, 50mm, f/2.8, 120 sec exp., ISO 400
2007 Jan 25
C/2006 P1 on Jan 25, 10:26 UT. Photo: R. H. McNaught, Siding Spring Observatory. Canon 5D, 24mm, f/4.0, 300 sec exp., ISO 400. Medium combine of 5x60sec exps
C/2006 P1 on Jan 25, 10:45 UT. Photo: R. H. McNaught, Siding Spring Observatory. Canon 5D, 50mm, f/2.8, 600 sec exp., ISO 400. Medium combine of 5x120sec exps
Discovery Team!
Rob McNaught with the Uppsala Schmidt telescope and 4Kx4K CCD.
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