Photographing Comet Neowise (C/2020 F3) is something that is a lot of photographers are trying at the moment. This is fantastic for the hobby and could make it one of the most documented comets to date. I have wanted to do astrophotography for a long time, especially for capturing nebula and deep sky objects. I managed to capture it against the night sky over Devon, UK from a vantage point looking across the Bristol Channel. I love how you can see a range of colours in the coma.
Here is a version of the main image with higher exposure to make more of the comet visible. In this image, its dust and ion trails are more visible.
Comet Neowise – Higher Exposure: Canon EOS 5D Mark IV, Canon EF 100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM, 1.6 sec @ f3.2
This image was created by combining a large number of 1.6 second shots to amplify the light without creating excessive noise or artefacts. The images were merged in a free program called DeepSkyStacker. I am hoping to get some more refined images of it in the coming nights. If you have not tried it yet, the comet is still visible to try to capture it yourself, with Ursa Major moving closer above it in the sky each night.
How to find comet Neowise in the night sky
Once the sky is dark, it is fairly easy to see the comet with your naked eye. It is not as bright as it appears in many photos to the naked eye though. To find the comet, look for “the Plough” constellation (Ursa Major) in the night sky. This is also referred to as the big dipper. Look diagonally down to the right and you should see it. If you struggle to see if take a few photos to see it clearer on your camera display. Each day the constellation will get closer to the comet in the sky.
The Plough Constellation (Ursa Major)
