This comet unexpectedly brightened to third magnitude as it came from behind the sun on its way back out of our solar system. Initially, only observers in the southern hemisphere could enjoy the sight, but by late June the comet became visible from the northern hemisphere as well. When this image was taken, the comet had moved well north and was passing through the constellation of Pegasus. By the time this images was taken, the comet was easily seen with binoculars. A week after this image was taken, the comet had faded to sixth magnitude as it raced away from us back out to the cold environs of the Oort Cloud.
This is an unguided CCD image taken with an ST-8E and CFW-8 using a 6-inch Takahashi FCT-150 refractor telescope at prime focus at f7. The image is a composite of sixteen 60-second exposures throught the red and green filters, and sixteen 120 second exposures through the blue filter. The CCD was binned 2x2 for thse exposures. The individual images were sum combined using MaxIm DL. The image was taken from a dark sky location in western Arizona.
Constellation: Pegasus
RA:22h 18m Dec:+15d 07'.
July 15, 2001 at 0730 U.T.
Image by Sid Leach
Scottsdale, Arizona.
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