Comets
Comet C/2020 F3 (NEOWISE) taken from Landers, California on July 25, 2020
Comets over the decades
When a good or great comet comes around, usually once a decade, they are popular targets for astrophotographers. You often only need a camera and a tripod, although a tracking mount helps.
Although I saw Comet Kohoutek in 1974, my first great comet was Comet West in March 1976. This image was taken at dawn from Cal Poly Pomona.
Comet West was a great predawn object. This image was taken through a 6-inch F/4 telescope from Riverside, California.
Comet Hyakutake surprised everyone in 1996. At its best, the tail stretched from horizon to horizon. This image was taken from Lake Arrowhead, California.
Comet Hale-Bopp was long awaited by astronomers, and lived up to its hype. This image was taken using a 135mm telephoto lens from Joshua Tree National Park.
Comet Holmes is a periodic comet that orbits the Sun every 6.9 years. At its brightest, it is normally barely visible to the naked eye. In 2007, a large outburst caused it to brighten by over a million times.
This image of Comet Holmes taken on November 3, 2007, through a 4-inch refractor show dust and outgassing from the nucleus during the outburst.
Comet Lovejoy passing the Pleiades on January 16, 2015.
Periodic comet 46P/Wirtanen taken on December 16, 2018 using a 200mm telephone lens.
Comet C2020 F3/Neowise taken from Landers, California on July 18, 2020.
I viewed Comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan–ATLAS) from the Eastern High Sierras on October 14, 2024, as it set over the High Sierras and Bishop.
On October 20, 2024, I took this image of the nucleus of Comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan–ATLAS) using a 6-inch F/5 telescope.