Comet Lovejoy is Brightening!

With Comet ISON fading from the daily news, Comet C/2013 R1 Lovejoy can take center stage as it approaches its closest pass by the sun on December 22.  It won't pass as close to the sun as ISON so expectations aren't as high for its brightness, but it's already on the verge of naked eye visibility and it still has a couple of weeks to heat up and brighten.  

I captured this image November 30 at 5:53 am on a Canon 70D with EF 70 – 200mm f/4 IS L Series lens.  In an attempt to best resolve detail in the tail I tried HDR processing on exposures of 20, 25 and 30 seconds captured at f/4, ISO 1600 on a tracking mount.

Thanks to +SPACE.com for covering my Nov 14 image of Comet Lovejoy in their article on the comet on Friday:
Amazing Photos: Comet Lovejoy C/2013 R1 Spotted by Stargazers
http://www.space.com/23863-comet-lovejoy-photos-c2013-r1-skywatching-images.html

Comet Lovejoy does seem to have brightened and the tail has grown longer and more distinct since mid-November, but on my latest attempt to photograph the comet I think that the batteries in my tracking mount died in the sub-freezing temperatures we're experiencing at night.  On my next attempt I should probably tape hand warmers to the battery compartment to extend battery life.

As a side note, I hear that there may be enough debris from Comet ISON to spot and shoot it in morning twilight.  I hope that our clouds break enough for me to catch a glimpse at whatever is left of it at some point this week.

Comet C/2013 R1 Lovejoy at 5:53 am on November 30

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