 | |
 omet Hale-Bopp more than lived up to its anticipated reputation as "best general all-around comet of the century." Members of the South Jersey Astronomy Club took dozens of great photos of this great sight. This month, Gallery features some of the exquisite work of club members Ray Maher and Nelson Biggs. |
 On the left, a great shot by Nelson of the Comet, taken on April 9 using a 200mm f/4.5 lens exposed for 3 minutes on Fuji HG 1600 film, all mounted on his tracking platform. But Hale-Bopp wasn't the only object which proved an opportunity during the cometary visit. On the right is Nelson's photo of M-42, the Orion nebula. He took this back in November, 1989 using his Celestron 8" at f/6.3 guided and exposed for 20 minutes on Fuji HG 1600.  The Orion nebula is a stellar nursery where young stars are being formed -- one of about 300 open clusters which have been discovered in our Milky Way Galaxy. Incidentally, the "M" (as in M-42) refers to the catalogue of objects compiled by the French astronomer Charles Messier (1730-1817) who also discovered 21 comets during his lifetime. |
|
 ay Maher set up his equipment to photograph Comet Hale-Bopp on the morning of March 16 at Cumberland Pond and Jakes Landing. He used ScotchChrome 640T film with a 50 mm lens at f/2.0. Here, Comet Hale-Bopp shows up beautifully in the pre-sunrise sky, and is sufficiently luminous to appear as a reflection in the water. Ray also used the outline of the landscape to create a pleasing photo composition. 
| 
These photos were taken from a good dark sky location, Jakes Landing in Cape May County. Ray used 20-second and 23-second exposures. Again, he made these views more attractive by integrating the skyline of the forest into his composition.
Taking photos and working with other equipment such as telescopes requires time, patience and some knowledge. As with any hobby, the rewards from such a pursuit depend on how much effort you're willing to put it. South Jersey Astronomy Club is a great way to learn more about this type of equipments, and the techniques used in getting these great photos. Consider coming to one of our meetings to learn more. |
|
|
|