Comet Nishimura, Venus and Beehive Cluster over eastern Slovakia
Nowadays we can look for a brighter morning comet C/2023 P1 Nishimura, discovered on 12 August by Hideo Nishimura from Japan. As the comet gets closest to the Sun (which happens on 17th September), it is getting brighter and making the comet an easier target for nightscape photography. This morning, I was successful from Zahradne, Slovakia, where the comet appeared against the little bit cloudy sky. Its tail is so bright that even in the backyard telescope I could enjoy it in almost full field of view. In the wide-angle view, bright Venus (and surrounded by atmospheric corona) and Praesepe cluster over eastern Slovakia (with Zadňa Hura and Veľká hora hills in distance). Unfortunately, the comet is harder to observe any next morning, so I am truly happy I made it at least once to see this beauty!
Used Canon Ra, Tamron 70-200mm (set to 200mm), f2.8, ISO 800, 10x20s. Wide angle was taken with Sigma 50mm, f2.0, 15s. Tracked with Vixen Polarie U mount.
Beautiful Comet Nishimura on 9 September 2023
I also took a try the very next morning, on Sep. 10, 2023, around 2:50 UT. The sky was brighter, comet lower, however, I still could make one more beautiful shot of the comet in the dusk sky over Záhradné, Slovakia. Used Canon Ra, Tamron 70-200mm (set to 149mm), f2.8, ISO 400, 18x15s, tracked also on Vixen Polarie.
Beautiful Comet Nishimura on 10 September 2023
Later that week, on September 15th, 2023, I tried to find comet Nishimura at dusk from Lysá Mount, Sabinov (alt. 1 068 m), Slovakia, when the sky cleared after the cold front. It was a blind finding, but eventually, I identified it in one shot. Still promising (mag hardly estimated, just guess about +3 or even brighter, considering the atmospheric extinction). Used Canon Ra, Tamron 70-200@200, f2.8, ISO100, 13s (tracked from Vixen Polarie mount). Some tails still possible to be captured (little bit enhanced).
Finding Comet Nishimura
… and probably last observation so far I was able to do on Sunday Sept. 17th, 2023, again from Lysá Mount, Sabinov (alt. 1 068 m), Slovakia. The comet was not visible to the naked eye (and I didn’t have binoculars), however was still photographically visible. I captured it just over highest summits of Belianske Tatry, Slovakia. Used Canon Ra, Tamron 200mm, f2.8, ISO 100, 5s (Vixen Polarie U), the comet is stacked from 14 images and combined with the foreground image. Hard to estimate, but considering other stars and comets’ location over the horizon, I believe it can be some 2-2.5 mag. Almost surely last observation I was able to do was from Slovakia, next days it would be a nice object for observers of the southern hemisphere (if it continues its path without damage due to solar radiation). Nice goodbye with the comet from here…
Dusk Comet Nishimura over Belianske Tatry mountains – with detail
Dusk Comet Nishimura over Belianske Tatry mountains
