Comet C/2016 R2 (PANSTARRS) & the Pleiades

JOSÉ J CHAMBÓ, NEW MEXICO, US, 4 FEBRUARY 2018

José says: “The comet deploys a long, blue tail inside our Solar System, composed of carbon monoxide ionised by the solar wind, while the blue nebulosity around the star cluster is clouds of interstellar dust enlightened by the brightest stars.

The image is a mosaic composed of three tiles, to fill a wide field of 7°x2° and catch both the comet and Pleiades. The main difficulty was balancing the processing so

that I could highlight the faint comet without overexposing the bright cluster.”

Equipment: SBIG STL11000M CCD camera, Takahashi FSQ-106ED refractor.

BBC Sky at Night Magazine says: “We’re already well aware of José’s incredible comet images, but this one really made us take notice. Managing to capture both the comet and the Pleiades is a real treat, creating one of those images that, the longer you look at it, the more detail leaps out at you.”

About José: “I started to develop as an amateur astronomer in 1985 during the last visit of Halley’s Comet. I have been enthusiastic about comets from the beginning, and in all these years I have extended my knowledge and experience in tracking and observation, as well as in astrophotograpy. My advice to beginners would be to specialise in a specific genre of astrophotography that interests them. Look at the work of the best photographers but discover your own style and always try to improve.”