I took a photography course when I was in college. That was before digital cameras were around. Setting your camera to get the right light and effects was somewhat more complicated. Night photography was even harder. When I graduated, I headed north to Lake Superior to camp. In the evenings I was overwhelmed by the night skies. Because the sunsets are much later up north, you have to stay awake long enough to get in some stargazing. To get a good night shot you had to allow the little bit of starlight to hit the film longer, which always proved a challenge. But with a little luck you could sometimes get in a few good images. We also got a glimpse of the Aurora Borealis, a heart-stopping flow of otherworldly colors swirling overhead. However, the recent images captured by astrophotographer Liron Gertsman put my measly pictures to shame. He witnessed a rare occurrence forever frozen in time with his images of the comet Neowise. (1)
Night Photography Of Neowose
Named after NASA’s Neowise infrared space telescope, the comet first made an appearance on July 3, 2020. At this point it was closest to the sun, causing it to flare as the sun’s heat burned gas and dust on the comet’s surface. (1)
“This very close passage by the Sun is cooking the comet’s outermost layers, causing gas and dust to erupt off the icy surface and creating a large tail of debris,” explains NASA. “And yet the comet has managed to survive this intense roasting.” (1)
What a night! With the potential for some aurora action & Neowise fading day by day, I decided to head up here last night … the comet, bioluminescence, the Milky Way and even a bit of aurora – just wow ❤️ #Tofino #BC @TamithaSkov @HelloBC @tourism_tofino @StormHour pic.twitter.com/woCxumwwVj
— David McColm (@davidlmccolm) July 25, 2020
Night Photography By 19-year Old
Gertsman, a 19-year-old astrophotographer had never had the chance to shoot something like this. The last time a comet like Neowise was in this neck of the woods was in 1997 before his arrival on our little blue planet. He missed seeing Hape-Bopp’s appearance in the northern hemisphere. (1)
Pure Luck With Night Photography
“I’ve spent all recent nights with clear skies observing and photographing this impressive spectacle,” says Gertsman. “On the night of July 13, while photographing at Harrison Lake (a short distance from Vancouver), I was treated to what might be a once in a lifetime event; the Aurora Borealis (Northern Lights) showed up, “photobombing” my comet shot.” (1)
Comet Neowise in & around Tofino, BC continues to impress … and change from night to night! Here’s to getting out as often as possible to enjoy (and shoot) this stunning & rare deep sky event! @tourism_tofino @HelloBC @StormHour #NEOWISE pic.twitter.com/lvb9g2z8zR
— David McColm (@davidlmccolm) July 18, 2020
Ideal Set-up For Night Photography
According to Gertsman, he could only see the comet for about 30 minutes. “The colors were hard to see, but the pillars were clearly visible dancing across the northern sky,” he says. (1)
He also captured images of the comet the night before when it appeared over English Bay. Gertsman points out that stargazers need to look at the skies when it is very dark to get the best views of the northern horizon. He had a killer view from a spot away from Vancouver with fewer bright lights to interfere with his view. (1)
“If you have clear skies, it’s hard to miss the comet even from heavily light-polluted cities,” says Gertsman. “As always, I hope my images will inspire people to get out and experience stunning natural phenomenon such as this.” (1)
To be able to see & shoot the stunning comet Neowise over Tofino, BC the last couple of days has been an incredible bucket-list experience & then last night it even came with a wee bit of aurora #justwow @TamithaSkov @tourism_tofino @HelloBC @StormHour #cometNEOWISE pic.twitter.com/v5RobhNwKs
— David McColm (@davidlmccolm) July 14, 2020
Although these rare occurrences are briefly visible with the naked eye, binoculars make it easier to spot. (1)
