Comet NEOWISE

 For the past week or so I've been watching Comet NEOWISE rise steadily in the northwestern sky each evening even as it retreats from the sun and likely grows dimmer./ Our only saving grace is that it is coming ever closer to Earth. It'll be within 64 million miles of us (admittedly two-thirds of the distance to the sun) on July 22.

 So far, it hasn't been much to see. In fact during my first viewing sessions I didn't see it at all. I merely aimed the camera at the patch of sky where I expected it and took a time exposure. Sure enough, a dim fuzzy blob  appeared on some shots.

 Each night that it's been clear, I've tried again. I have increasingly found it fairly easily to spot with binoculars. But last night (07/16) I was able to lower the binoculars and see it with my own eyes. It's best viewed off-center where the fuzzy tail seems to stretch forever.

 When I aim the camera I can no longer see the comet in the viewfinder so I'm aiming blind. Of course I know approximately where it is but it's still a game of chance. Even so, I've managed to get it in every frame in recent sessions.

 The comet is still low, maybe no higher than 10­° above the horizon. I have the advantage of a field of corn behind me (admittedly higher than soybeans would have been) and a distant line of trees, now low enough not to cause any obstructions.

 Even with short time exposures (all 15 seconds or less) the comet appears in each frame.

 I almost missed it with a blind attempt at this telephoto shot. Oh, for a decent DSLR camera! I am using a "prosumer" grade camera, hardly good enough for comet chasing: a Canon Power Shot SX-20IS (vintage 2009).

 Though the camera marginally captures the comet on the ASA (ISO) 400 setting, a decent camera would have made all the difference in the world. I could crank it up to ASA 800 but the pictures get to be too grainy.

 Even so, the bright coma and nebulous tail show fairly well.

 Above is a close-up cropped from another frame. That's about as good as I can do.

 This isn't another Hale-Bopp as I photographed in 1997 while using a film-based 35 mm camera. That was more flexible than my digital camera but I had no idea what my pictures were like until I had the film developed.

 Nevertheless, every comet is a special gift from the heavens and each lifetime is blessed with very few. They're worth every minute spent locating  them and then enjoying the fruits of the search.

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 Pix below taken 07-17-20 at about 10:30 PM local time ...

 And here is a Stellarium plot of that section of sky on that date and hour. The two stars above and to the left of NEOWISE are Alkaphra (left) and Talitha. Both are actually double stars.