A photographer captured a remarkable image of the NEOWISE comet over Stonehenge last Friday.
Matthew Brown, who hails from Carmarthern, Wales, said he has taken “thousands upon thousands” of images, but this may be the “photo of his life,” the British news agency South West News Service reported.
“I have taken thousands and thousands of photos during my career, but this has to be one of my favorites,” Brown, 37, told the news outlet. “I knew it was going to be one of the clearest nights we had, so I had to make my way there. I live in Carmarthen, I thought it was now or never for me to go there and take a picture of my life.”
A fiery comet that has traveled for 6,800 years was seen sailing through Stonehenge on a perfect summer night. (Credit: SWNS)
A COMET IS VISIBLE THIS MONTH: NASA HAS THESE TIPS FOR SKYWATCHERS
The comet, also known as C / 2020 F3, was discovered on March 27 by NASA’s NEOWISE (Near-Earth Wide Field Infrared Reconnaissance Explorer) space telescope.
Brown, a professional photographer by profession, said he shoots at all hours of the day, but that particular night sky was “spectacular.”
“It was absolutely worth it,” Brown said of the two-and-a-half-hour trip to Stonehenge. “He would have kicked me if he hadn’t gone and lost me.” It’s not something you see often and seeing everything at Stonehenge made it special. “
NASA CAPTURES OBSERVABLE IMAGE OF NEWOWISE COMET
The comet, which can be seen with the naked eye, has been visible since July 7, NASA said on its website.
“In approximately the middle of the month, the comet is visible at about 10 degrees above the northeast horizon (the width of its extended fist) in the hour before sunrise,” the space agency added. “From mid-July onward, it is better to see it as a night object, rising higher and higher above the northwest horizon.
NEOWISE COMET AND RARE ASTRONOMIC PHENOMENA CAPTURED IN OBSERVABLE IMAGE
“It takes about 6,800 years for the comet to go around its long, stretched orbit, so it will not visit the inner solar system again for many thousands of years,” the agency explained on its website.
NASA notes that the comet’s closest approach to Earth will be on July 22, at a distance of approximately 64 million miles.
GET THE FOX NEWS APP
Fox News’ James Rogers contributed to this story.
