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The Comet
C/2020 F3 (NEOWISE) was discovered by the
NEOWISE
space telescope in late March of 2020 and became visible to the naked eye
for a few days in July. We had a bit of nice weather, so around sunset
Friday night, July 17, 2020, I headed to Sunset Park faces the lake
(west-ish). The comet would be visible for a little while, low on the
horizon in the northwest before setting.
A number of people were at the park waiting there to see the comet as
well (but maintaining proper social distance). About an hour after dark
it became visible. A large tree to the nortwest made it very difficult
to find, but someone who had been there before knew where to look.
While standing in the road, the comet was visible in a V-shaped notch
in the foliage. I took a few pictures of it while avoiding getting hit
by cars.
July 17, 2020
I got there just after sunet and there were some nice colors in the sky. So I took a few pictures of the lake first. After all, I was at Sunset Park.
003-DSC_4435.jpg
Some lights in the water at at the end of the lake. The moving read and white...(more)
There was only one place to see the comet. Too far to the left or right
and the trees blocked the view. The park was too small to get too far
from the trees and the road curved. Too close and the trees blocked
the view and you'd be standing under a motion sensitive streetlight.
On the other hand the silhouette of the trees gives a nice texture and
contrast to the picture. Someone next to me had a nice Canon camera
with a 500mm telephoto lens that "cost as much as his car." While I was
taking 5 second exposures, he was clicking away at 1/5th of
a second. But most of these came out decently.
It was pretty easy to see the comet with the naket eye.
There were a few times that cars were entering or leaving the park and
we had to move since we were standing in the road. And the car headlights
would immediately ruin any night-vision. However after seeing nothing
for a second or two, for an instant it became easier to spot the
comet. Then back to being faint and then slowly getting easier to see.
