Comet ATLAS and Mount Cooke

From the photographer: “While at City of Rocks, I knew I would have an opportunity to photograph the new comet in the East before sunrise. Since I am traveling, I only had my Zeiss 55mm lens to use. I scouted the location ahead of time, and was told to be very cautious. The parking lot I picked, next to the Botanical Garden, is home to one of the largest Western Diamondback rattlesnakes in the park. I made sure to bring a large stick with me and I used it to hit the ground around me to warn the rattlesnake of my presence.

Around 6am the comet tail became visible next to Mount Cooke. I captured a short timelapse of the comet rising in the morning sky. I chose a single 5s exposure to include, as it shows the significant length of the comet tail. I believe the clear skies of New Mexico allowed for excellent viewing of the comet, though it could not be seen with the naked eye, nor using averted vision.”

Technical details:
Single-exposure
Sony A7RII, Zeiss 55mm F1.8, F2.0, ISO6400, Exp.: 5 sec.