Comet McNaught glows over Astronomy’s observatory - Local Group - Astronomy

Comet C/2009 R1 (McNaught) was just visible to the naked eye at the time of this image. Developer Gene Turner photographed the comet as it passed through the constellation Perseus the Hero near the 4th-magnitude star Mu Persei June 17, 2010. Gene Turner photo

Developer Gene Turner awakened early the morning of June 17, and the image on this page is the result. To capture Comet C/2009 R1 (McNaught), he used the Astronomy Magazine Observatory that he constructed in 2009. That facility sits within the astronomy and equestrian village at Rancho Hidalgo near Animas, New Mexico.

This image was a single 200-second exposure through a Canon EOS Digital Rebel XTi DSLR. The camera rode on Turner’s HyperStar-equipped 14-inch Meade LX200 Schmidt-Cassegrain telescope. “I didn’t have a chance to fully process the image to eliminate the morning twilight glow,” Turner said, “but this will at least give you an idea of the field of view we can get with this system.”

When Turner shot the comet June 17, McNaught shone at magnitude 5.8, which made it a moderately difficult target to spot without optical aid from a dark site. The bright star in the image is magnitude 4.1 Mu (µ) Persei. Comparing magnitudes shows that the star shines 4.8 times as bright as the comet at that time. The star lies 0.6° west-northwest of the comet, which makes McNaught’s tail more than 1° long.

Currently, Turner’s attention is on his latest development, Granite Gap. This 300-acre plot will offer amateur astronomers spaces at an RV park and time-shares in small, well-apportioned cabins under North America’s darkest sky. (You can read more about this exciting project in the September issue of Astronomy.)

So, thanks, Gene, for taking time out of your busy schedule to capture this temporary visitor to the inner solar system.