From: Jimmy Westlake [mailto:jrwjr@springsips
Jimmy Westlake took these two pictures of comet NEAT from near his home in
Yampa, Colorado at around 9:30 p.m. on May 6. The above image was made with
a 300 mm telephoto lens and a 2-minute exposure. It is not what the comet looks
like with the unaided eye.
The image at right is a wide-angle view that comes close to showing what the
naked eye can see from a dark location, Westlake said. It was made with a Fuji
S2 digital camera and a 50 mm lens at f2.8, during a 2.5-minute exposure.
Comet NEAT, catalogued as C/2001 Q4, was discovered in August 2001. It was
visible only to those south of the equator in recent months, but it swept into
Northern Hemisphere skies on Wednesday evening, May 5. In terms of brightness,
the comet appears as a middle-range star for those with dark skies. It may be
difficult to see from cities.
NEAT is low on the southern horizon as
the evening sky turns dark. Each evening, it rises higher into the sky (that's
good for viewing) but grows dimmer (that's bad for viewing). It might remain
visible through mid-May. Binoculars will improve a person's view of the comet.
Viewer's
Guide
Credit: Jimmy Westlake
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