Are you excited to see the NEOWISE comet when it appears in the night sky? Do you want to try your luck photographing the cosmic snowball? Let’s take a look at some NASA beginner astrophotography tips.
Comet NEOWISE, named for NASA’s Near-Earth Near-Field Infrared Explorer (NEOWISE), the space telescope that first saw the comet in March, currently adorns our night skies with its icy presence. It approached the sun on July 3, and the comet is now visible to sky watchers in the northern hemisphere. It is so bright that while the use of binoculars or a small telescope can help, the comet and its tail are visible to the naked eye.
You can see the comet in the night sky after sunset and in the northwest just below the Big Dipper constellation. For those who want those sky-watching moments to last a little longer, it can be fun to bring a camera. But photographing a dark sky and having distant cosmic objects visible in the shot can be tricky.
Related: How to See NEOWISE Comet in the Night Sky Now
Plus: Best Telescopes for the Money – 2020 Reviews and Guide
See kite NEOWISE?
(Image credit: NASA / Johns Hopkins APL / Naval Research Lab / Parker Solar Probe / Brendan Gallagher)
If you see Comet NEOWISE, let us know! Send images and comments to [email protected] to share your views.
Amateur astrophotographer Bill Dunford, a social media specialist at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), recently shared his experience photographing the comet on video along with some helpful tips and tricks.
“In my spare time, I love taking pictures of the night sky,” Dunford said. “I do this using a tripod-mounted camera.”
This part seems obvious, but Dunford adds that he puts the camera “in manual mode so that I can configure the camera to leave the shutter open for several seconds to let in lots of light.” A four-second exposure should do the trick, he added.
Plus: Incredible photos of Comet NEOWISE from Earth and space
He shared some of the photos of Comet NEOWISE that he took with that four-second exposure, adding that he made sure to observe the sky away from the bright lights of the city.
When Dunsford captured the image below, Comet NEOWISE was visible in the sky early in the morning before sunrise. Since then, the comet left the sky before sunrise and is now visible at night just after sunset.
“On a clear morning, at about 4:30 am, I went to a place away from the city lights,” Dunford said. “I could see the comet with the naked eye, so I went up and exposed each shot for about four seconds.”
Dunford also shared that “he did a little post-processing using photo-editing software.” Using this software, he was able to light up his photos a little, “draw the vibrancy of the colors and clean up some noise. The end result was close to how the scene looked in person, which, I must tell you, was beautiful.”
Lastly, he shared, “I really hope you have a chance to see Comet NEOWISE and all the other wonders of the night sky.”
Here is a NASA sky map showing where to look for the NEOWISE comet in the July sky.
Editor’s Note: If you take an amazing photo or video of Comet NEOWISE in the night sky? Let us know! To share images and videos for a possible story or gallery, send images and comments to [email protected].
Email Chelsea Gohd at [email protected] or follow her on Twitter @chelsea_gohd. Follow us on twitter @Spacedotcom and in Facebook.
