Lake Tekapo Comet

The Great Comet McNaught surprised the southern hemisphere observers in January 2007 as it became the most spectacular comet in recent decades. The comet here is photographed as seen in the dark sky of Lake Tekapo in New Zealand. Also notable in the image are Large and Small Magellanic Clouds above the comet tail. Lake Tekapo is located on the northern edge of the Mackenzie Basin in the South Island of New Zealand. Mount John University Observatory, New Zealand’s premier astronomical observatory, is situated near the lake and with support of New Zealand government the starry sky of the lake is considered a nominate site for UNESCO Starlight Reserve initiative; a new approach to preserve the dark sites as a World Heritage. As noted by the photographer “Lake Tekapo is a photographer’s paradise in which I am happy to be living and working. All year round you can be assured of fantastic scenery. I work on Mt John, where I manage a small cafe by day and take photos by night.”