I was almost ready to give up on Panstarrs but this Comet has really preformed especially with the images I've seen posted on Spaceweather and other Comet Forums.

I decided to try and see if I could see the Comet from the city lights of Tampa yesterday morning and I was pleasantly surprised to still be able to see the Comet in the ep of my 8" scope

This image isn't the best but maybe I can do better if the Comet remains bright enough in the next week or so.  I usually don't try for any over about 7 mag.



The tail has  really surprised me.  In the image above the tail stretches down and beyond the frame which is 14'19".

Ron

Thanks every one.....not a good recovery, but a recovery nonetheless.
Hopefully I will be up to half speed within a few weeks!

All the cards and messages have been much appreciated!

Doc

Good to hear that he has come through and is doing well...  Best wishes for a speedy recovery!

I wasn't going to try for any more Panstarrs images but after seeing several wide field views  posted on Spaceweather I thought I would give it a try to see what I could get.   Needless to say it was the same day I was plagued with problems trying to shoot the Sun.

After several failed alignments I was about ready to give up but wanted to try before it got daylight.  My original plan was to try for a 30 minute 270 or 300mm @30 second subs but couldn't get a focus so I settled for a 70mm shot.  I acquired 28 frames and stacked them in DSS but could not find a hint of a Comet

Today I thought I would give my final image another try in editing and give it a shot of high pass filter.  What a surprise, I found a very faint hint of a fuzzy in this cropped image exactly where Panstarrs was supposed to be located according to my SNPP.  Using averted vision I can detect a long fuzzy tail pointing downward.



Another really, really splotchy image.  I did a closer crop and re filtered but I can definitely see the hint of the Comet a little better and don't have to use averted vision


The image is pretty cruddy but I just might try again

Can anybody else see it or is it just my imagination

Ron

Should probably put this in the processing Forum but



Yesterday was one of those frustrating days when nothing goes right and nothing wants to cooperate.  My camera didn't want to work right, it didn't want to take my manual settings, so I had to settle for an alternate method.  Then I could not get a good focus, and after fiddling with everything for a long time, all of a sudden my camera's view went blank.   I looked up and saw the reason why, clouds had moved in and blocked the view of the Sun

I could still see the Sun Spots through the clouds occasionally so I took a quick shot.



This is what I get when I get bored and try something new

Ron

Doc posted this on one of the Yahoo groups so I thought until he updates here this would suffice in the meantime.

It appears that I will finally be able to sit here and complete a sentence at least a bit coherently and only slightly under the influence of all the multi-colored pills parading in front of me. A huge, and really appreciated "thanks" to all of you who wrote both privately, through discussion groups, and directly. Your thoughts did a lot to keep my mind off of things and it is much appreciated.

Things did not go quite as well as expected but I have some terrific surgeons and I owe them far too much money at this point for them to let me slip into the starry abyss. But I am a tough old coot and there are still a few comets left to catch.

I knew that if I took a few days away that Meade would end up in Chinese hands, so I apologize for letting my guard down on that front. (qualifier: I had to say that in case they want to go back in here later today and remove my funny bone.....)

Again, everyone: thank you sincerely.

Dr. Clay
_____
Arkansas Sky Observatories
MPC H45 - Petit Jean Mountain South
MPC H41 - Petit Jean Mountain
MPC H43 - Conway West
http://www.arksky.org/

Got a brief text from Doc's wife to let me know the surgery went well but he is in quite a bit of pain which made for a rough night.

Dave,

We will definitely miss him and wish him a speedy recovery

He will be in our thoughts and prayers.

Thanks for the post,

Ron

I was not authorized to post this but I thought it important enough to risk life and limb to share with our members and guests here at ASO.

Our founding father and benefactor Dr. P. Clay Sherrod is having some very delicate and serious surgery. He will be hospitalized afterwards for some time and not be able to do what he so loves to do, help other astronomers and observe.

I am urging everyone to keep him in their thoughts and prayers and perhaps drop him a line of encouragement for a full and quick recovery.

No problem Ed.

I am in southern Illinois, about an hour from Cape Girardeau and Paducah Kentucky and about 30 miles east of Carbondale Illinois home of SIU.