Comet Faye Moves On

Comet Faye passed by the field of view with a galaxy over a period of a few days in October.

These two photos show the motion, relative to the somewhat indistinctive galaxy NGC 821. This photo also shows how a comet hunter can easily mistake a small fuzzy object with a galaxy or nebula.

The first photo was taken on October 11, 2006, at 2130 UTC, using 14-inch diameter Schmidt Cassegrain Telescope, with a 3910mm focal length, and a magnification of 470. The photo does not show the galaxy very well, but in larger images it does show up as a fuzz-ball that is somewhat smaller in appearance than the comet.

The second image was taken with the same telescope, set on the exact same coordinates (Right Ascension 2 hours, 8 minutes and Declination 10 degrees 47' 27"). The second image was taken on October 13th at 2332 UTC.

Seeing was at 4.5 for both nights (4 out of 5). Examining the stars in the background, the conditions seem to be identical.