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Just hit 500 tracked objects with my backyard setup in Seattle
I was reviewing my logs from the past year and noticed I've officially logged 500 different celestial objects from my modest backyard rig. The big surprise was that number 500 turned out to be Comet 12P/Pons-Brooks, which I finally managed to image clearly last week after three failed attempts. It felt like a real milestone because I started this project just trying to see the Orion Nebula. Has anyone else in the PNW had luck with that comet recently, or have suggestions for the next 500?
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harper_gibson23mo agoMost Upvoted
Five hundred is wild for Seattle skies. My own log is basically a list of clouds and airplane lights. That comet is a real overachiever, showing up after three no-shows. Maybe aim for 500 satellites next, seems easier than actual space stuff.
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ross.angela18d ago
My buddy Chris out in Bellingham had a similar struggle with that comet. He set up his dob three Saturday nights in a row and got nothing but marine layer and frustration. Finally on a random Tuesday, he texted me at 2am all caps that he got it. He said it looked like a fuzzy cotton ball with a little tail, nothing like the processed photos but still cool to see with his own eyes. @harper_gibson2 might be onto something with the satellites though, Chris keeps complaining about Starlink trains photobombing his deep sky stuff anyway. Maybe you two could start a club for logging the shiny streaks instead.
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