Hale-Bopp Comet

["Richard W. Hemingway" <n5xrd@telepath.com>]

Just got my prints back from trying to take pics of the Hale-Bopp comet.  I
used Kodak Royal 400 print film.  Didn't have a tripod so used a light
stand, locking cable, M6 and 35/1.4 ASPH and 75/1.4, both at 1.4.  Took
exposures at 1/2, 1, 5, 10, 20, 30, 40, and 60 sec.

Put the M6 on the stand with cable.  It was quite shaky.  Stand was on
concrete patio.  Put large grey card in front of lens and opened the lens
and let the whole thing settle down.  Worked pretty well only two of 17 pics
showed any shake.

Used a key light with red led to light my watch - big mistake.  On about 1.3
of the pics apparantly the light glanced off the card (holding the white
side toward the lens??? - don't know) and the prints came out red!!! Mostly
on the 35mm shots only one on the 75mm shots.

The shots taken at 20, 30, and 40 secs came out the best.

Should have tried my 135/4, the comet on the 35 is smaller than I thought it
would be, not bad on the 75.  It was 5:45am 3/19/97 and beginning to get
light when I finished about 6:10.

The comet is beginning to rise in the evening at about 1/2 hour after
sunset.  The curve is fairly sharp and around the end of March for a short
time should by a good object to see and photograph.  

Next time I will try K64 slide film - will increase the times 2.5 for the
1.4 lens and about 6.5 for the 135 if I try it.  At these times the pics
will show some star trailing.  None on these prints. BTW the stars on the 35
ASPH are small dots right to the edge.  On the 75 I don't see any obvious
coma.  THE DREADED STAR TEST.

I should use faster slide film, but am too cheap to buy it - shoot
everything on K64 <gr>

Dick Hemingway
Norman, OK