The First Look

My first glimpse of the summer comet came on the morning of July 9th, about one week after it had reemerged from the Sun's glare much brighter and more robust than anticipated. As early observations showed continued promise, persistent cloudiness, reinforced by the passage of Tropical Storm Fay, denied New York sky-watchers a look at the exciting new comet. On this morning, low stratus clouds continued to blanket the Hudson Valley, but satellite imagery showed a clearing over the eastern Catskills. My arrival at the Ashokan Reservoir was met with mist, a nearly full Moon, and the onset of twilight – poor conditions for comet hunting. Just when I began to fear a fruitless trip, I noticed a smudge of light poking out from behind the clouds. A few test exposures revealed that I was witnessing Comet NEOWISE for the first time, and I was thrilled. The comet's tail quickly became unmistakable as it soared higher into the dawn sky. This, my favorite photograph of the morning, was also one of the last captured before the sunrise ushered in another day.

lakereservoirwatermorningsummertwilightdawnnightblueskystarsastronomyastrophotographyulster county cometneowisecatskillsashokanolivebridge

From Summer comet of 2020