Comet Lovejoy, C/2014 Q2 amid the clusters, nebulas and dark dust clouds of Taurus and Perseus, on Friday, January 16, 2016. Its long blue ion tail stretches back at least 15°, almost to the open cluster NGC 1647 on Taurus at the left edge. At centre is the Pleiades star cluster, M45; at top right is the red California Nebula, NGC 1499, in Perseus, while the field is filled with the dark dusty lanes of the Taurus Dark Clouds. At left is the red giant star Aldebaran amid the V-shaped Hyades star cluster. I turned the field 90° clockwise from the original orientation, putting the “bottom” of the field (the area farthest south and closest to the horizon) at the left edge. North is to the right here. This perhaps provides a “more natural” orientation to the comet for most people. This is a stack of 10 x 2 minute exposures with the Sigma 50mm lens at f/2.5 and filter-modified Canon 5D MkII at ISO 1600. Tracked on the Sky-Watcher Star Adventurer, but not guided. Shot from City of Rocks State Park, New Mexico, Jan 16, 2015.
The green Comet PanSTARRS passing near the Double Cluster in Perseus on January 22, 2020. This PanSTARRS (one of many!) is C/2017 T2. The star cluster to the left of the comet is NGC 957. The loose cluster at bottom left is Trumpler 2. This is a stack of 8 x 4-minute exposures at ISO 400 with the Canon EOS Ra on the SharpStar HNT150 Hyperbolic Newtonian astrographic reflector at f/2.8.
The green or cyan Comet PanSTARRS passing above the Double Cluster in Perseus on January 25, 2020. This PanSTARRS (one of many!) is C/2017 T2. The star cluster to the left of the comet is NGC 957. The loose cluster in the bottom left corner is Trumpler 2. This is a stack of 8 x 4-minute exposures at ISO 400 with the Canon EOS Ra on the SharpStar HNT150 Hyperbolic Newtonian astrographic reflector at f/2.8.
