Once in a Lifetime
Comets are fleeting visitors — ancient ice and dust tracing bright arcs across the night. Just beyond the doorstep, they offer rare chances to witness something that may not return in our lifetime.
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Comets are fleeting visitors — ancient ice and dust tracing bright arcs across the night. Just beyond the doorstep, they offer rare chances to witness something that may not return in our lifetime.
Integration: 1/3s f/4
Equipment: Canon EOS RP 80mm
Filters: UV
Acquisition: N/A
Processing: N/A
Notes:
Captured on October 15, 2024. This was my first time seeing—and imaging—a comet. Facing directly toward O'Hare airport, the light pollution was intense, yet the comet revealed itself through the camera even when invisible to the naked eye. A reminder that the sensor often sees what we cannot.
Handheld at 80mm, I experimented with multiple exposure settings and found 1/3 second to be the sweet spot—long enough to capture the comet's glow, short enough to minimize motion blur. Several frames were needed to get a steady shot without a tripod.
A once-in-a-lifetime visitor, and a fitting first entry for the Comets page.
Integration: 6 minutes (13 × 30s)
Equipment: Askar FRA300/5.0 APO • ZWO ASI585MC-Air • Explore Scientific iEXOS-100-2
Filters: IR
Acquisition: ASIAIR • ASIAIR Guiding
Processing: ASIAIR
Notes:
Captured on October 26, 2025. This was my second attempt to capture Comet Swan with the FRA300 rig—the previous night's session failed due to manual focus issues. The green glow is what I expected, though I had hoped to capture a visible tail. I cut the session short at 6 minutes when I noticed the star trailing, thinking something was wrong—but that may simply be the result of the ASIAir tracking the comet's movement rather than the stars. Still learning what's normal when imaging comets.
Explore More — Field Notes, thoughts on choosing targets and working within Bortle‑9 light.