Comet pictures

Comet NEOWISE in 2020 was the best northern hemisphere comet since Hale-Bopp and a great binocular object. I did not get a chance to take a long exposure from a dark sky site, but this picture with my iPhone does at least show the tail.

Comet NEOWISE from hill southeast of Livermore, CA, taken 7/21/20. iPhone Xr with NightCap app, ~20 s exposure, no tracking.

1996 and 1997 were great years for comets. These pictures were both taken from atop Mt. Laguna (6000 ft.), an hour's drive east of San Diego. Each is about a 10 minute exposure (on film!) using a camera with a normal lens on an equatorial tracking table.

Comet Hyahkutake, March 25, 1996, from Mt. Laguna, California

Comet Hale-Bopp, March 18, 1997, from Mt. Laguna, California