This March marks 13 years since I first saw and photographed comet C/2011 L4 (PANSTARRS). A "devil’s dozen" is a somewhat mystical anniversary, but for me it’s a small astronomical triumph — this was the first comet I ever managed to see through binoculars and, most importantly, to photograph.
It wasn’t visible from my balcony, and besides, the comet was quickly sinking toward the horizon. So I had to urgently grab a tripod, camera, and binoculars and rush somewhere with a clear view before it disappeared. The town where I lived at the time is located in a mountainous area, with hills all around, so I headed up there.
March 2013 didn’t feel like spring at all. I had to wade through snowdrifts to reach the observing spot, and by the time I got there, my boots were full of snow and I could barely feel my feet. But the moment I saw the comet with my own eyes through 15x70 binoculars, I instantly forgot about the cold — it was such an amazing sight.
I observed it for a while, until I suddenly remembered that it was about to set. I quickly pulled out my Canon 300D with an old Soviet Jupiter-37A 135mm f/3.5 lens and managed to take a few shots from a tripod at 4 seconds, ISO 1600. By then I was already freezing, so I packed up and went home.
Of course, I didn’t stop there. The next night I returned with more serious intentions — an equatorial mount and a proper setup. That turned into quite an adventure… but that’s a story for another post.
Technically, the first comet I ever saw was Hale–Bopp back in my early teens. But without any optics — and being short-sighted — it looked more like just a bright star to me 😕
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