NEOWISE Comet Photographed Over Oregon’s Mount Hood

Comet NEOWISE was the great sky event of the summer of 2020. Discovered in late March by NASA’s NEOWISE space telescope, it brightened enough by July to be seen with the naked eye across the Northern Hemisphere, first in the early morning and then in the evening sky, the brightest comet seen from here since Hale-Bopp in 1997. It made its closest pass by Earth on July 23 and will not be back for roughly 6,800 years. We wrote about how to spot it at the time.

Portland-based photographer Lester Tsai patiently waited for just the right moments to capture these amazing shots of snowcapped Mt. Hood with NEOWISE beautifully positioned overhead. We see a bright tail sailing over the snowcapped peak’s of Oregon’s most well known volcano, flanked by rich green forests.

We admire photographers like Tsai to spend the time to capture iconic celestial moments like these, and share them with the world. Make sure to check out his Instagram and website for more.

Photographs used with artist’s permission.

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It took two hours of waiting but Comet NEOWISE finally lined up directly over beautiful Mt Hood as the horizon began to fill with color from the approaching dawn. This celestial visitor won’t be around again for almost 7,000 years so catch it while you can! If you look closely you can see the second faint tail. Do you see it?

            -Lester Tsai, @lestertsaiphotography

Portland readers will recognize the vantage. Mount Hood sits about 50 miles east of the city and is the classic foreground for Oregon astrophotography. For more of the night sky, see a blood moon, lunar eclipse and aurora all at once, spectacular aurora borealis and australis, and the story of the first landing on a comet.

By Moss & Fog Staff

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