The Ancients

The summer comet of 2020 – officially, C/2020 F3 NEOWISE – captivated stargazers and inspired artists across the Northern Hemisphere during the month of July. It was bright enough to be seen from city centers, but shone most awesomely in darker skies. Here, the comet soars above Breakneck Ridge, Mt. Beacon, and the eastern Hudson Highlands, around 3:30 am EDT. It was a powerful of an ancient mountain range, featuring the oldest exposed rock in New York, and a comet born at the very beginning of the solar system.

Within a half hour, the delicate dust tail would begin yielding to twilight, fading from view altogether a half hour after that. After a memorable but fleeting morning spent with Comet NEOWISE, one anticipates the next clear night, hoping to catch another glimpse. But as we come to terms with the inevitability of twilight, we also recognize that the comet is speeding out of the inner solar system, not to return for thousands of years.

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From Summer comet of 2020