Fiber-optic star trails, fireflies, the ISS & NEOWISE. July 17, 2020. This photo is a 52-minute star trail made from 526 consecutive shots, each six seconds long, ISO 800, 15mm at f/2.8, Nikon D810. Photo by Alan Studt.
Comet C/2020 F3 (NEOWISE) was the finest comet to grace the skies of the Northern Hemisphere in quite some years. Amateur astronomers and photographers the world over made fascinating observations and beautiful images of the comet and its surprisingly long tail. By July 5, NASA’s Parker Solar Probe had captured an image of the comet, from which astronomers also estimated the diameter of the comet nucleus at approximately 5 km. or about three miles; that’s a reasonably large size but around average for a comet. The large nucleus offered plenty of volatile materials for the Sun to stir into tail formation.
On July 23 the comet reached perigee with Earth and is now speeding toward the outer Solar System, not to revisit the inner planetary neighborhood for several thousands of years. So, though relatively near Earth the object is fading fast. Lately astronomers and astrophotographers have been grabbing the last views they will have of C/2020 F3 before it fades to obscurity.
Here are some photos made by members of the Cuyahoga Astronomical Association (CAA) as a cometary farewell of sorts:
C/2020 F3 NEOWISE as viewed from Veteran’s Memorial Park in Avon Lake just before 11 p.m., July 24, 2020. Photo by Alan Studt.
Alan Studt’s lovely portrait of the comet shows its tails remain, if faded, long and expansive. He wrote, “Beautiful night by the lake last night. Took these at Veteran’s Memorial Park in Avon Lake just before 11 p.m. Pretty large group of people hanging out. The comet was definitely much dimmer than the previous Friday.”
Technical Information: Tamron 70-200mm f/2.8 lens, on a Nikon D850. The comet image is made from 14 shots (2.5 seconds, ISO 10,000, at 200mm, f/2.8). Stacked in Deep Sky Stacker & post processed in Lightroom and Photoshop. Seventy-five shots but got the best star field alignment using only 14 shots. Also used dark & flat frames.
C/2020 F3 NEOWISE as viewed from Letha House Park in Medina County, Ohio, at 10:36 p.m. July 24, 2020. Photo by James Guilford.
James Guilford was at Letha House Park, July 24, attempting to record detailed images of the comet nucleus and close tail. The green coloration of the comet was a surprise to him, even after reading the observations of others. “All of my comet shots Friday night show a green nucleus,” Guilford said, “and it grew brighter as I processed the images later. I’d have liked to have picked up more of the tail but, given the circumstances, I’m pretty happy with what I got.” Both he and other Letha House Park observers could see a green tint by eye through telescopes. He and others also report the comet was barely within the range of eyesight but only at its highest above the horizon and only via averted vision.
Technical Information: Canon EOS 6D Mk. 2, at prime focus of 1800mm FL Cassegrain telescope, eight light exposures plus darks, ISO 1250, 15 seconds per exposure, stacked in Starry Sky Stacker, processed in Photoshop.
C/2020 F3 NEOWISE nearly lost amongst the stars. Photo by Jon Salontay.
Jon Salontay also photographed the comet that Friday. Above we see how it is nearly lost, even to the camera, amongst the stars. Technical Info.: Time – 11:32 p.m., Canon T5i with 18-75mm zoom lens at 18 mm, exposure 30 seconds at F/5.6, ISO 800. Brightness & Contrast adjusted.
C/2020 F3 NEOWISE via telescope. Photo by Jon Salontay.
Salontay then turned his telescope on the “dirty snowball.” Technical Info.: Time – 12:13 a.m., July 25. Celestron 8-inch SCT on Advanced VX Mount, Canon T5i, 15 seconds, ISO 1600. No out-of-camera adjustment.
He wrote, “Although I’ll try to follow it telescopically over the next month, how about another comet before the year is out? It’s a lot of fun.”
Be sure and check back… this article is updated as new images arrive!
Lights above and lights below: the scene at the Lorain, Ohio lakefront featuring comet C/2020 F3 (NEOWISE) the night of July 13, 2020. Photo by Frank Shoemaker.
In mid-July Comet C/2020 F3 (NEOWISE) was becoming an evening object, visible in sunset twilight, and brightening as it did so. The predawn apparitions were difficult for many to appreciate — visible after 4 a.m. and disappearing around 5 a.m. — but “prime time” visibility in the evening sky has members of the general public more excited.
Lake Erie offers wide-open spaces and distant horizons, with other features sometimes adding to the scene. Frank Shoemaker visited the lakefront in Lorain, Ohio on July 13, 2020 to view and photograph the comet. “I shot this {image above} at 11:15 p.m. The floodlights on the lighthouse shut off at 11 p.m. Before that its glare made the images pretty useless.” Shoemaker wrote. Technical details: Canon 5D MK 4, 135mm prime lens, f/2, 4 secs, IOS 1600. Processed in Photoshop and Lightroom.
C/2020 F3 (NEOWISE) in late sunset colors as it glowed over Lake Erie. Photo by Christopher Christie.
CAA member Christopher Christie wrote the comet “was naked eye visible out over the Lake after sunset.” Until recently, C/2020 F3 was rarely reported as viewable without binoculars.
Tighter crop of Christopher Christie’s comet image.
There are more challenges than simple atmospheric issues. Lonnie Dittrick writes, “Nice location but a bit challenging dodging folks walking around, car lights, and airplanes. It was fun. Image cleaned up with Photoshop.”
C/2020 F3 (NEOWISE) over a wooded hill with sunset colors. Photo by Lonnie Dittrick.
The beautiful picture below is by CAA member Paul Leopold taken Monday night at 10:15 p.m. He said sky conditions were excellent in terms transparency with the comet was visible from 9:45 p.m. – 11:15 p.m. DST. Technical: Olympus OMD EM5 Mark 2, 75-300mm at 75mm, f/6.3, ISO 4000, 21 seconds. He used an IOptron Star tracker Mount to prevent “star streaks.” It was post-processed in Photoshop from Olympus Raw Format image.
C/2020 F3 (NEOWISE) the night of July 13, 2020, from Medina County, Ohio. Photo by Paul Leopold.
This next photo is by CAA member Alan Studt and shows a wide view of the comet as seen from Fairport Harbor (Ohio) Lakefront Park on Lake Erie. It was shot at 10:15 p.m. with the following specs.: Nikon D850, 4 sec., ISO 4000, 52mm, f/4.5.
Viewed from Fairport Harbor (Ohio) Lakefront Park, C/2020 F3 (NEOWISE) is seen in this wide view the night of July 14, 2020. Photo by Alan Studt.
Sky conditions were somewhat questionable the night of July 15 but turned out to be clear enough for comet spotting from several locations across the area.
James Guilford made a last-minute trip to Mapleside Farms in Brunswick where he encountered a nearly-full parking lot; people gathering to take advantage of the place’s expansive view of the western sky. Also in the crowd were Jon Salontay, Joe and Pat Zentner. Many of the attendees likely went away disappointed — the comet was not readily naked-eye visible, diminished in light-polluted low clouds. C/2020 F3 was enjoyable via binoculars and could be imaged so long as the photographer knew where to point the camera!
Guilford’s photo illustrates the modern battle between the beauty of the night sky vs. human activity — light pollution, in this case. He titled his picture “Purity and Pollution” with the technicals: Canon EOS 6D Mk. 2, 24 – 105mm lens @ 73mm, f/4, ISO 1600, 8 seconds, processed in Photoshop.
Purity and Pollution. Comet C/2020 F3 NEOWISE floats serenely above clouds illuminated by ground-based light pollution the night of July 15, 2020. Photo by James Guilford.
Jon Salontay, who was at Mapleside, wrote, “The comet showed up well in 10×50 binoculars, but could only be hinted at viewing naked eye, and only after first spotting it in binoculars. Quite a lot of the crowd left before the comet could be seen, but those that were there for the comet in the first place stayed for the show.” He made the following close-up image.
C/2020 F3 NEOWISE as seen the night of July 15. Photo by Jon Salontay.
Alan Studt stayed home but recorded this beautiful suburban night scene. He wrote, “We were able to see the comet with binoculars from our back yard in Parma (Ohio, not Italy). Here’s a wide shot with Mount Alverna Village in the foreground.”
A wide shot with Mount Alverna Village, Parma, Ohio in the foreground, July 15, 2020. Photo by Alan Studt.
Here’s another image that looks like a painting, perhaps a water color appearance this time! Carl Kudrna recorded this image at the Dover Center park in Bay Village, overlooking Lake Erie. Camera: Galaxy s9+ smartphone.
Viewed at the Dover Center park in Bay Village, overlooking Lake Erie. Photo by Carl Kudrna using his smartphone.
Matt Franduto sends this next image recorded under fairly clear skies, framed by trees.
Between the trees Comet C/2020 F3 NEOWISE between trees, traces of its dust trail extending far behind, July 15, 2020. Photo by Matt Franduto.
The gorgeous picture, by Lonnie Dittrick, was shot at Letha House Park West location of the CAA’s observatory. Dittrick wrote, “Took this image Tuesday night overlooking the pond by the observatory. The comet held its own for a good 45 minutes until succumbing to the gunk off to the West. It’s been awhile since I’ve been out there that late… I forgot how nice it is out there.”
This gorgeous twilight image, including C/2020 F3 NEOWISE, was shot July 14 in Medina County. Photo by Lonnie Dittrick.
Friday, July 17 brought a beautiful clear night to Northeastern Ohio and CAA members took full advantage of it.
Below, Frank Shoemaker captured a beautiful scene at Huntington Beach Park, on the shores of Lake Erie. “I shot this about 10:20 p.m.,” he wrote. “The comet was clearly visible to the naked eye. In you zoom in on the comet you can barely see the very faint second tail.” Technical details: Canon 5D Mk. 4, Sigma 50mm prime, f/1.4, 10 sec, ISO 800.
The scene at 10:30 p.m. on the shores of Lake Erie: Comet C/2020 F3 NEOWISE on July 17, 2020. Photo by Frank Shoemaker.
Alan Studt was able to record the faint ion tail of the comet, in addition to its broader dust tail. His technical data: Taken around 10:30 p.m. at the CAA’s observation site in Letha House Park. Made of 60, two-second exposures, 300mm, f/5.6, ISO 6400, Nikon D850, stacked in Sequator. Equivalent to a two-minute exposure.
The faint ion tail of Comet C/2020 F3 NEOWISE can be seen streaming back from the nucleus and above the broader dust tail. Photo by Alan Studt.
The position of the comet also lent itself to nightscape photography and Studt took advantage of that. Below, the comet is seen in the starry sky above and still lake waters below. Taken around 10:30 p.m. and made of 20, six-second exposures, 15mm, f/2.8, ISO 800, Nikon D810, stacked in Sequator. Equivalent to a two-minute exposure.
James Guilford, also at the park site, had the same idea but was at a slightly different location near the lake. His technical info. for the picture below: Canon EOS 6D Mk. 2, single 15-second exposure at 60mm, f/4.0, ISO 1600.
More additions to our C/2020 F3 (NEOWISE) article…..
Viewed pre-dawn July 9 and 10, at Greece, NY, looking out across Lake Ontario. Photo by Chris Elder.
Below we see an effort by Paul Leopold using an elegant rig consisting of his Olympus OMD EM5 Mark 2 with IOptron Star Tracker mount, with 75 – 300mm zoom lens. He shot at 171mm, f/5.9, ISO 1600, for 61 seconds. It was a beautifully clear “night at Letha House Park in Medina County with several CAA members viewing and imaging.”
C/2020 F3 (NEOWISE) on a beautifully night, July 15. Photo by Paul Leopold.
Comet Dawn. Comet C/2020 F3 NEOWISE rises above Lake Erie at 5:00 AM, the morning of July 9, 2020. Photo by James Guilford.
Members have enjoyed several opportunities for astronomical events in July: the penumbral lunar eclipse; a conjunction of Moon, Jupiter, and Saturn; and most recently the apparition of Comet C/2020 F3 NEOWISE.
C/2020 F3 presented special challenges for observing and imaging as it showed up very low to the horizon rising ahead of Sun — not much more than 10º before morning twilight wiped it out. July’s weather around the apparition grudgingly cooperated with relatively clear night skies tarnished with a hazy atmosphere and bright Moon to light it.
Still, how many comets do we see in one lifetime? There was considerable enthusiasm around observing this one. The comet was expected to be visible in the morning sky until July 11 after which, according to NASA, C/2020 F3 can be fished out of evening twilight until mid-August. The nucleus or “head” of the comet is reportedly unusually large. NASA’s NEOWISE spacecraft suggest that the comet’s core of ice and dust is 5 km wide. This bodes well for the comet’s visibility in the weeks ahead when it becomes an early nighttime object.
Observers and photographers report the object was not visible to the unaided eye, given conditions. Binoculars, telescopes, and even modest telephoto lenses were able to fish C/2020 F3 out of our Northeastern Ohio atmospheric murk.
Navigation lights and the lighthouse off downtown Cleveland, Ohio reflecting off the calm Lake Erie waters set off the subtle beauty of Comet C/2020 F3 the morning of July 9, 2020. Photo by Frank Shoemaker.
Various locations and various times provide differing views of the sky in general and this object in particular.
C/2020 F3 as viewed from West Virginia and imaged using a cell phone. The rough quality of the smartphone image, the muted colors, dark landscape reminds us of a classic oil painting of a night scene with comet. Photo by Kai Getrost.A view of C/2020 F3 from Brunswick, Ohio. Photo by Jon Salontay.
Jon Salontay writes, “Got up Thursday and this morning (Friday) to view from my front driveway in Brunswick. We are at 1,125 ft., higher than most of the surrounding area, but there a lot of trees. I was too late Thursday (5 a.m.) as the sky was already too bright. This morning was a different story. Started a 4:30 a.m. Venus was shining brightly, so I knew it was clear. The comet was easy to find and a nice sight in 10×50 binoculars. Following Capella to Menkalinan and downward made spotting the comet easy. I could make out a trace of it naked-eye, but only because I knew exactly where to look. Got some photos with my Canon Rebel T5i with a 55-250 F 5.6 zoom lens on a tripod. Used ISO 800, 4 seconds at F/5. I’ve attached the best of them, with close cropping.”
A tightly-cropped view of C/2020 F3 from Brunswick, Ohio. Photo by Jon Salontay.Clouds usually interfere with astrophotography but, in this case, they add to the beauty of this composition. C/2020 F3 (NEOWISE) over Lake Erie the morning of July 12. Photo by Frank Shoemaker.Comet C/2020 F3 as seen from Greece, N.Y., looking out across Lake Ontario. Photo by Chris Elder.
We will add to this gallery as submissions are received or images updated.
CAA: Cuyahoga Astronomical Association 