Comet from Arches National Park

From the photographer: “The last couple of nights on my comet chase (at the VLA and near Canyon de Chelly) proved too cloudy, with the clouds of course just in the west. Tonight started out similarly, with fewer clouds, but of course they were right where the comet was. But they cleared!

I had planned to be at Arches National Park this night for some weeks, as one of my “comet stops” on my way back north and home from 10 nights of deep-sky shooting in southern Arizona.

This was the prime spot that suggested itself, looking west at Turret Arch. This was the day we crossed the plane of the comet’s orbit so the anti-tail is visible, though just to the camera. But the main dust tail was easily naked eye. I was impressed, as the last time I saw the comet on October 11, it was just a blip and not naked eye.”

Technical details:
A panorama with the RF28-70mm lens at 28mm, 10 sec each untracked, at ISO 400 and f/2.2