Comet and Galaxy Over High Tatras

A photo composite of multiple exposures. From the photographer: “Back on Monday 4th March 2024, I managed to find the exact spot, from which the comet 12P/Pons-Brooks and Andromeda Galaxy were setting just behind the Lomnicky Stit Mount. It is the place of the highest observatories in Slovakia, the Lomnicky Stit and Skalnate Pleso astronomical observatories, from where also several comets were discovered in 50′ of last century. So in the same era when Pons-Brooks made its last closest approach to the Sun and Earth as well. During the photography, the fast-moving clouds made it almost impossible to take a successful clean shot. Since the weather doesn’t promise to repeat this photograph in better conditions next days, I decided to combine all data taken from the spot that night so this unique composition did not end in digital trash. And, eventually, it doesn’t look that bad.”

Technical details:
Canon Ra, Tamron 70-200mm (70mm), f2.8, Optolong L-Pro, Vixen Polarie U
Sky: ISO 3200, 17x30s (tracked)
Foreground: ISO 5000, 6x15s (not tracked)
sky registered to foreground according to stars position