Comet C/2023 C3 Photo

[Bill M]

I took this from my yard in SW Colorado County this evening. I will be getting more over the next couple of nights. The comet will be gone in a few weeks and grow dimmer. It will not pass Earth again for 80,000 years. I plan to have a front-row seat for that one.

[TKRanch]

Bill great shot as always and as usual you catch them in flight!! Can you share what time it should likely pass over again soon as I live in Fayette County, so not far, and would like to at least take a look!!!

[60 Deluxe]

I took about forty shots of it last night. My camera adjusting skills are somewhat lacking, especially after dark. It was a fun learning experience that really didn't mean much until I got the pictures offloaded to a bigger screen that revealed more detail. What I thought looked best on the camera monitor was terrible on my laptop. I did manage to get one shot quite similar to yours.

[Bill M]

Bill great shot as always and as usual you catch them in flight!! Can you share what time it should likely pass over again soon as I live in Fayette County, so not far, and would like to at least take a look!!!

Thanks and yes, flying. 😎 Otherwise they tend to fall to pieces. It took us a little while to find it as we can't see exactly where the sun ends up due to trees and the comet was directly above the sun at that point. Here is what I use to see where it is located at any given time. You can click on the star map and it will give a live screen that can be refreshed for lastest location. I used Gonzales TX as my nearest listed city. https://theskylive.com/c2023a3-info

I took about forty shots of it last night. My camera adjusting skills are somewhat lacking, especially after dark. It was a fun learning experience that really didn't mean much until I got the pictures offloaded to a bigger screen that revealed more detail. What I thought looked best on the camera monitor was terrible on my laptop. I did manage to get one shot quite similar to yours.

Nice shot. My settings were 105.0 mm, f/8, 10s shutter speed, and ISO 1000 on a tripod of course. I plan to try a faster shutter tonight with higher ISO setting to eliminate the trailing.

Another one. I was on the back patio taking this one.

[IowaHunter]

That link was similar to transcribing hieroglyphics

Guess I’ll stare at the sky tonight.

[Double R 2]

Those are cool pics. Thanks for sharing.

[locolobo]

First I'd heard of it was this morning on the news. I live south of Houston and the report said we should be able to see it this evening, just above the horizon, in the western sky just after dusk. I'll be lookin for it.

[60 Deluxe]

I was using a 250mm lens, F7.1, 8 seconds, ISO 800. I don't own any good lenses, just kit lenses that came with the cameras that I bought mostly used. This time I was using a Canon EOS Rebel T7.

[Bill M]

I was using a 250mm lens, F7.1, 8 seconds, ISO 800. I don't own any good lenses, just kit lenses that came with the cameras that I bought mostly used. This time I was using a Canon EOS Rebel T7.

Do you have a good way to focus the distance? What I did was focus on Venus then over to the comet. Venus looks like a moon shape and is extremely bright so it will not resolve completely but you can tell it is a much finer, no fuzzy ball. Those sound and looked fine. Your lens is fine for this. I was using an f4, 24-105 lens.

[60 Deluxe]

Do you have a good way to focus the distance? What I did was focus on Venus then over to the comet. Venus looks like a moon shape and is extremely bright so it will not resolve completely but you can tell it is a much finer, no fuzzy ball. Those sound and looked fine. Your lens is fine for this. I was using an f4, 24-105 lens.

I had to put the camera on manual focus as it was searching and getting nowhere. I did end up focusing on Venus, and it was such a narrow focus window that it took several attempts. One tiny little bit of touch and the image blurred. I also had to reposition the camera several times to keep the comet somewhat centered. No small task because it was so hard to see through the view finder.

[Bill M]

I had to put the camera on manual focus as it was searching and getting nowhere. I did end up focusing on Venus, and it was such a narrow focus window that it took several attempts. One tiny little bit of touch and the image blurred. I also had to reposition the camera several times to keep the comet somewhat centered. No small task because it was so hard to see through the view finder.

Don't shoot at 250mm if you are doing so. The last two comets I photo'd were at 100mm. I understand about the moving. Comet should be almost straight up and down so a little down should be all that is needed. Of course, that is where I'm at in SE Texas, your direction of the setting ball may be different. I'm using a video fluid head that I used to use to film my hunts and it is a smooth glide when I move it. Good luck tonight.

[Bill M]

I used my wife's first-generation Sony A7 this evening. The camera could see it better than we could early.

[Lee230]

Thanks guys for posting about this!! I found some new places close to my house with elevation and very little light pollution. I have watched many moon rises and had multiple days of great viewing of the comet several years ago. Tonight, I was able to see this comet with the naked eye; however, the view was better once I slapped the Vortex optics on it! It seemed to have a longer tail than I was expecting and I had well over 35 minutes of good viewing before the skeeters ran me off.

[Lee230]

Great pics, again Bill!!

[Bill M]

Thanks for the comments! Back out last night, different settings that lessened trailing but produced a little banding. Shot most at 100mm, f8, ISO 12800. By the time I shot the last one the moon was so bright that no light was needed to see around me. I will look in the less dense north air tonight but I likely won't shoot any. I will wait until the moon is mostly gone and see what remnants of the comet are left to see. Each day sends it higher in the sky and farther away and dimmer.

Couple from last night.