Jeff Ball Jeff Ball

Comet C/2025 A6 (Lemmon) Disruptive Event

This morning I continued my daily imaging of Comet C/2025 A6 (Lemmon). My first test images this morning revealed a break/clump in the comet’s tail and that put me on alert to capture a time-lapse of the comet for the first time.

The comet is in the northeast in the mornings right now. I believe it will be transitioning to the evening sky as October progresses. I really need to get outside and take a look through my binoculars at this thing. It is really putting on a nice show.

So, I began capturing a sequence of 130 images to give approximately 4 seconds of video movement of the comet and follow this clump/break/disruptive event. I can’t imagine that the actual cause of the clump in the tail would have happened much earlier than when I started imaging around 5:00 a.m. CDT. I waited for the Moon to set for best conditions.

I have now been operational at Starfront Observatories for about 3 weeks and it has been incredible. I would never have imaged this comet from West Virginia. I would have to travel to a site with low horizons and that can be a challenge around here. To have my equipment setup 24/7 and so easy to operate, well, I have been imaging this comet every morning. I simply haven’t had time to process the still images yet. But I wanted to get this time-lapse out ASAP because I thought it had some interesting impact that may even be able to be seen visually.

Stay tuned for much more to come on this comet and about 6 deep sky projects in various stages of completion. Thanks for stopping by and clear skies.

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Jeff Ball Jeff Ball

Almost Heaven: Monongahela National Forest

The Monongahela National Forest holds a very special place in my heart. It has to be one of the most unique areas in the U.S. From nature’s grandeur to scientific pursuits, the area is full of hope and wonder. This past June was the Green Bank Star Quest held at the Green Bank Observatory, smack dab in the middle of the Monongahela National Forest (MNF). I have documented the GBSQ with multiple videos on my YouTube channel for more background. The weather for the week wasn’t ideal for night astronomy. But it was very nice for landscape photography. This is the portfolio from the week where I visited the Gaudineer Knob area of the MNF. This area is home to spectacular vistas and old growth Appalachian forest. It is a photography treasure trove. I hope to revisit again soon.

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Jeff Ball Jeff Ball

Miramar Mornings

Join me at Miramar Beach in the morning. Each morning I visited the Pompano Beach Access at Miramar Beach in FL. The sky and ocean never failed to put on a show. God’s wonderful creation in full color and textures. Please peruse the images and the YouTube video.

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Jeff Ball Jeff Ball

October Dark Skies

Finally had some time during Christmas break to work on the October and fall images and video. The results are below. For image details, please see my page at Astrobin linked in contact information. Happy New Year!!!

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Jeff Ball Jeff Ball

The Aurora from Spruce Knob Lake

A spectacular color palette presented over 3 hours of the Aurora from Spruce Knob Lake, WV. Please see my video for more information and look for fine art prints in the store soon.

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Jeff's Blog

Join me on photography journeys from desert landscapes to deep sky wonders.