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Comets from

 

60 degrees north

 

The Kenai Peninsula

 

Alaska

All photos Copyright ©,
Bill Hutchinson,
The Kenai Peninsula Eagle PresS™

 

I'm an amateur photographer with Nikon 35mm cameras, a few lenses, a tripod and some basic guiding equipment including a home made Haig equatorial mount. The images are listed in order by date.

If you'd rather go to latest pictures click here.

Many of these shots have been featured on CNN television specials, CNN Headline News and The McNeil Lehrer News Hour on PBS. I thank you for taking the time to look my pictures. Your comments are appreciated. Send to bill@eaglestation.com
If you'd like to know more about astrophotography, take a look at the Canadian Science Web's Guide to Photographing the Comet.

I've had several requests for information on how to purchase my photographs. Each one that is available will have a link to an order blank. Thanks for your interest.

  • Jan 25th 7:45AM above and right of brightest star, Altair. The full moon lit the foreground Nikon N2020 60mm f2.8, 15 seconds with Kodak Ecktachrome 400X

  • Also Feb 8th 6:30AM. Shows Hale-Bopp location between Vega and Altair. Nikon N90, 50mm f1.4 at 30 seconds on Fuji Provia 100 film. Altair and Vega are "squashed" as a result of being on the edge of frame taken with a wide open aperture.

  • Feb 8th 6:30AM. HB is now far to left of Altair (bottom right-center) Note coat hanger asterism in upper center. Nikon N90, 60mm f2.8 for 20 seconds on 400 Royal Gold
    Order hb2897b

  • Feb 10th - First evening Hale-Bopp was bright enough for a photo just before setting in the west Nikon N2020 60mm f2.8 lens, 25 seconds on Ektachrome 400X

  • Hale-Bopp leaving Sagitta. The tail is well defined and easily seen with the naked eye. Feb 11th 6:30AM. Nikon N90, 50mm f1.4, 25 sec Provia 100 film

  • On a crystal clear Saturday Feb 15th at 6:00 AM the aurora can be seen to lower left of Hale-Bopp now sporting a tail several degrees long. Nikon N2020, 50mm f1.4, 45 sec on Ektachrome 400X

  • The North American Nebula is visible in upper left quadrant of this and the previous image. This one taken on Feb 18th, a stroke of luck between weather fronts, shows Hale-Bopp has moved north almost into Cygnus. Nikon N2020, 50mm f1.4, 30-40 sec on Royal Gold 1000
    Order hb21897b

  • Over the city of Kenai at 8PM on the 18th. The comet is sandwiched between two light trails. One trail left by an aircraft landing at the Kenai airport and another of an aircraft passing high overhead. Nikon N90 50mm f2.0, 30 seconds on Fuji Provia 100

    I built a Haig or, as some call it, a Scotch equatorial mount this week to try for some longer exposures without star trails. The skies finally cleared on the evening of the 23rd.

  • For comparison I shot the following two exposures on 1000 speed film. At 8PM, just before moonrise I took this 2 minute exposure with the Haig mount. Note the blurred trees but sharp stars. Nikon N2020 50mm fl.4, 2 minutes on Kodak Gold 1000
    Order hb22397ahaig

    Same shot for 40 seconds without the Haig mount. Sharp trees but blurred stars and comet. House lights are lighting the trees. Nikon N2020 50mm fl.4 40 seconds on Kodak Gold 1000

  • The real proof of the Haig mount's value is in this telephoto shot. Star trials would have been very distracting in this one minute telephoto exposure. Nikon N2020 210mm f4, 1 minute exposure on Haig mount. Kodak Gold 1000

  • Another of the birch tree shots but with slower less grainy film. Nikon N90 50mm f2, 1 minute exposure on Haig mount. Fuji Provia 100

  • If you are having trouble finding the comet, this picture of the summer triangle may help. Taken March 1st towards the east one hour before sunrise.. Nikon N90 20mm f2.8, 15 seconds on Kodak Ektachrome 400X

  • This shot on Saturday morning March 1st demonstrates the distinct difference between the upper ion tail and the lower dust tail of Hale-Bopp. Nikon N90 50mm f2.8, 2 minute exposure on Haig mount. Kodak Ektachrome 400X

  • Also on March 1st - a good reason to get up early and look over your roof. Nikon N90 50mm f2, 20 seconds on Kodak Ektachrome 400X.
    Order hb3197a

  • After we suffered six straight days of clouds and snow I was amazed to see the increase in brightness and size of Hale-Bopp on March 9th. Nikon N2020 50mm f1.4, 20 second exposure on Kodak Royal Gold 1000

  • On Sunday the 9th I left a camera out on a tripod from 10:30PM to 4:30AM to demonstrate that Hale-Bopp shines all night here at 60 derees north latitude. I think the batteries died after about 2 to 3 hours but the point is made. Nikon N2020 20mm at f8, 2 to 3 hour exposure on Kodak Royal Gold 1000
    Order hb3997trail(without caption)

  • 4AM on Wednesday the 12th, the aurora borealis appeared to be hindering the view of Hale-Bopp but this picture proves that the multi colored band of northern lights enhanced the photograph. Nikon N90 50mm at f1.4, 30 second exposure on Kodak Royal Gold 400
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  • Over my roof with the norhtern lights at 4AM. The green hue on the snow is caused by my neighbors' mercury vapor yard light. Nikon N90 50mm at f1.4, 20 second exposure on Kodak Royal Gold 400
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  • March 12th 10PM from a hill overlooking the western Kenai Peninsula all the way to the Alaska Range 60 to 70 miles away. The first quarter moon was just bright enough to light the mountains. Aircraft passing right to left. Nikon N90 50mm at f2.0, 30 second exposure on Kodak Royal Gold 1000
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  • 4AM on March 15th. The two tails show their colors in this telephoto shot. Nikon N2020 180mm at f2.8, 1 minute exposure on Kodak Royal Gold 1000 film using the Haig equatorial mount.
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  • Again at 4AM two days later on the 17th, this long exposure shows the richness of the Milky Way as Hale-Bopp moves ever closer to Andromeda and Cassiopeia. Nikon N2020 50mm at f2.0, 4 minute exposure on Kodak Royal Gold 1000 using the Haig mount.
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  • VERNAL EQUINOX This photo was taken at approximately 4:56AM Alaska Standard Time March 20th, the exact moment of the vernal equinox. Hale-Bopp was the first thing I saw this Spring. Another experience to remember. Two minute exposure on Ektachrome 400X, 180mm f2.8 using my Haig equatorial mount.
    Order hb32097b

  • The full moon is washing out the ion tail of Hale-Bopp but I had to take this picture on the 22nd to record HB's nearest approach to the earth. Moonlight makes for interesting colors. Nikon N90 180mm at f2.8, 1 minute exposure on Ektachrome 400X using Haig mount.
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  • WELCOME TO SOLDOTNA is the message here. Hale-Bopp in full moonlight arrives on the outskirts of town. Nikon N90 50mm at f2.0, 20 second exposure on Ektachrome 400X.
    Order hbsolsign32197c

  • The eclipse of the moon was a disappointment. Clouds prevented us from viewing it until the very end and then only through a hazy sky. This multiple exposure was taken over a15 minute period. Nikon N90 300mm at f4.0, 4 1/30 second exposures on Fuji 400HG.

  • March 25th just before moonrise HB can be seen clearly in the richness of the Milky Way. The Andromeda Galaxy is visible below the comet. Nikon N90 50mm at f2.0, 25 second exposure on Fuji 800HG.

     

  • The Alaska Air Guard is on the watch for comets and other intruders. My brother phoned me to ask if I had stayed up all night with Photoshop creating this image. Not so. The aircraft is a static display in front of the Kenai airport. So, brother Dick, (click here to see Dick's expert aurora borealis photography), take that. :-) This picture is not a composite. To be fair to Dick, though, I must admit that since he first mentioned it others have expressed similar doubts. Nikon N90 50mm at f2.0, 30 second exposure on Fuji 800HG.

  • Welcome To Kenai. On March 25th the comet makes an appearance over the Village with a past, City with a future. Nikon N90 50mm at f2.8, 30 second exposure on Fuji 800HG.
    Order hbkensigna

  • 2 AM local time March 28th. My attempts to capture the Andromeda Galaxy in one of my comet photos has again been nixed by weather. Our clouds here at 60 degrees north are waiting for the moonrise before lifting. I've put a small arrow here to mark our neighboring galaxy. Nikon N90 50mm at f2.0, 1 minute exposure on Fuji 400HG, guided by haig mount.

  • The sun still silhouettes the mountains at 10PM in Alaska. The comet points to the divide between the Alaskan and Aleutian mountain ranges across Cook Inlet. How many constellations and stars can you name here? Nikon N90 20mm at f2.8, 30 second exposure on Fuji 400HG.
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  • The Russian Orthodox Church of Ninilchik is a favorite subject of many a photographer. On this very clear and dark night of the 28th, the Andromeda Galaxy is clearly visible below Hale-Bopp and to the left of the right side cupola. Nikon N90 50mm at f2.0, 25 second exposure on Fuji 400HG. .
    Order hb32897cha
    This link to Ninilchik is a beautiful experience
    Or go here for more photos of this little church by the sea.

  • Andromeda and Hale-Bopp shine amid thousands of stars in our Milky Way. Nikon N2020 50mm at f2.0, a minute 30 second exposure on Ektachrome 400X with haig equatorial mount.

  • Another shot of the Orthodox Church in Ninilchik, Alaska. It is Easter morning, a candle shines in the window, the aurora borealis is creating a halo around the church, Hale-Bopp shines overhead and Andromeda nearly touches the center cross. I don't know if I'll ever capture more in a single photograph. Nikon N90 50mm at f2.0, 30 second exposure on Fuji 400HG.
    Order hb33097cha
    This link to Ninilchik is a beautiful experience
    Or go here for more photos of this little church by the sea.

  • My 7 year old daughter helps me a lot on my trips around town to shoot the comet. Easter night she and I took our own picture on our back deck. Nikon N90 50mm at f2.8, 25 second exposure on Fuji 400HG using a rear curtain synch flash of 1/64th power.

  • A satellite passed in front of the comet at around 10PM March 30th (7AM UT the 31st). I wonder if anyone seeing this knows what satellite it was. We are at 60:29N 151:03W. Nikon N90 180mm at f2.8, 2 minute exposure on Fuji 400HG using homemade haig mount.
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  • Every neighborhood ought to have skies like these throughout the year and each of us live in a house as bright and cheerful as this one photographed on April 2nd. Nikon N90 50mm at f2.0, 25 second exposure on Fuji 400HG.

  • I have a new FJR German equatorial mount that I used for this photo on April 5th. I'm still refining my polar alignment of the new gadget but posted this image anyway because it appears to show an anti-tail in front of the comet. Probably just an aberration but you can learn more about anit-tails in this study by astrophotographer Tom Polakis. Nikon N90 180mm at f2.8, 1 minute exposure on Fuji 400HG. Guided? by FJR mount.

  • On the same evening as above a faint aurora filled the sky at 10:30 so I switched to my 50mm lens to get this shot featuring the red aurora borealis haze in the background. Nikon N90 50mm at f2.0, 1 minute exposure on Fuji 400HG. Guided? by FJR mount.

  • Kenai's elder residents will enjoy seeing this image of The Kenai Senior Citizens Center under Hale-Bopp taken at 12:30AM April 9th. Nikon N90 50mm lens at f 2.0 20 seconds on Fuji 800 Super G
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  • Sharing the sky with moon light and sunset, the aurora borealis started its show late April 10th with a colorful cloud that rose in the south and then drifted north to light up Cook Inlet. Nikon N90 20mm lens at f 2.8 30 seconds on Fuji 400 HG

  • The northern lights spectacle continued into the early morning hours of the 11th. Hale-Bopp is surrounded by a purple hue that descends into the lights of Kenai, Alaska. A moonglade on Cook Inlet and the constellations add even more excitement to this very "busy" photograph. Nikon N90 20mm lens at f 2.8 30 seconds on Fuji 400 HG
    Order hb41197a

  • As the auroral show continues, Hale-Bopp points earthward to the Kenai Airport. This is the photo I've been waiting to shoot all Spring. The comet has crossed the path taken by Hyakutake one year earlier. It now lies in nearly the same spot on the same date 365 days later. The similarities in these two photos taken one year apart are eerie. Nikon N90 50mm lens at f 2.0 25 seconds on Fuji 400 HG
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  • Couldn't resist taking my own photo against this rich backdrop. Nikon N90 50mm lens at f 2.0 20 seconds on Fuji 400 HG

  • 2AM Saturday the 12th and, although a bit less colorful, the aurora still engulfs Hale-Bopp in its green haze while streaks of purplish spires sachet side to side. Nikon N90 50mm lens at f 2.0 20 seconds on Fuji 400 HG
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  • We've all had a wonderful experience with Hale-Bopp by virtue of a "bird's eye view". The tenants of this house literally so. Nikon N90 50mm lens at f 2.8 30 seconds on Fuji 400 HG

  • This sign says it all. Photographed on 4/18/97 three miles north of Ninilchik, Alaska. Nikon N2020 50mm lens at f 2.8 20 seconds on Kodak Gold 1000

  • On 4/19/97 in the very early morning, the aurora borealis started to dance across Cook Inlet. Nikon N90 20mm lens at f 28 25 seconds on Fuji 400 HG

  • The aurora grows across to engulf the entire Inlet and forms a huge pillow shape under Hale-Bopp. Heavenly sights indeed. Nikon N90 50mm lens at f 2.0 15 seconds on Fuji 400 HG
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  • Our "daylight" comet visits the shores of Kachemak Bay at Homer, Alaska. The moonlight is so bright now that midnight seems like daylight to an open camera lens. Nikon N90 50mm lens at f 2.0 20 seconds on Fuji 400 HG
    Order hb41997beach

  • Hale-Bopp above the city of Homer, Alaska as seen from the Homer Spit, world famous as the end of the road in Tom Bodett's novels and radio programs.. Nikon N90 50mm lens at f 2.0 20seconds on Fuji 400 HG Bottom

  • Now that the negative effect of moonlight is passed we have another uncompromising fact of nature to deal with. In our northern latitudes the sun's glow lights the horizon nearly all night. This shot taken close to 1:00AM April 27th demonstrates our predicament. Nikon N2020 50mm lens at f 2.0 20 seconds on Fuji 400 HG

  • In January and February I bragged about the advantages of our long dark nights in Alaska. Today the opposite is true. Even near 1:00AM local time the skies are too bright for a clear view of Hale-Bopp's ion tail. Another new development this week was that the comet, at less than 30 degrees declination, set below the horizon for the first time since mid February. For we Alaskans the show is nearly over and views like the one captured in this picture will be left to our memories and our photographs. Nikon N2020 180mm lens at f 28 1 minute on Fuji 400 HG

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    All photos Copyright© the Kenai Peninsula Eagle PresS®

    Thanks for coming by. I will be adding photos daily as weather permits, so please try to visit again tomorrow.

    I enjoy hearing from you. Feel free to send a note to bill@eaglestation.com

    Hyakutake images from March/April 1996:

    Comments? bill@eaglestation.com

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    All photos Copyright ©, Bill Hutchinson,
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