Comet C/2001 Q4 (NEAT) was discovered by chance by a
robotic probe searching for near earth asteroids in 2001. At the time it was
predicted that it would be a conspicuous naked eye object during May 2004, but
it did not quite live up to expectation. It achieved magnitude 3 and it was
reported as being plainly visible from dark sky locations; here in the Central
Region of Scotland it didn't achieve naked eye visibility because of light
pollution and the growing evening twilight of mid to end of May.
Here's two of my images captured on the 17th May.
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Imaged on the 16th May after it had passed M44, the Beehive (lower left); 3min exposure through a 135mm lens at f/2.8. |
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Imaged on the 17th May; 3min exposure through a 180mm lens at f/2.5. |