Photo of the Week for January 22, 2016

Although Comet Catalina’s best nights are behind it, observers have found it a rewarding object readily visible in binoculars and small scopes. Photos allow us to appreciate subtle features difficult to discern visually, such as the comet’s two tails. The narrow, blue-tinted gas tail points directly away from the Sun, while the broader dust tail flows along the comet’s orbital path.

Jean Guimond captured this view of Come Catalina and globular cluster NGC5466 (near the top right of the frame) from his home in Quebec City, Quebec, on January 5. The final image is comprised of thirty 60-second exposures shot as ISO 400 with a Nikon D810A astronomical DSLR camera and 300mm f/2.8 Nikon lens operating at f/3.5.