It was July 21st, a day after New Moon (when the sky is still pitch black due to the absence of the moon) and as a last minute decision I was heading out to the desert with hopes to photograph the the Milky Way and the glorious night sky. It was going to be a quick overnight trip, about 2 1/2 hrs of drive each way, with me returning by midday on the following day.

Living on the outskirts of Los Angeles and with about 300+ days of sunshine a year, I pretty much knew what to expect and how to pack. Despite its toasty 110 °F heat, the desert usually cools off significantly to around 80 °F after sunset. It’s not a bad deal.

I picked the area called Trona Pinnacles, which I have photographed a few times before, for its unique tufa formations that add quite a bit of mystery and character to my night shots. When I arrived I decided to walk around to look for areas and compositions that I haven’t really explored before.

After a few initial test shots and adjustments I settled in to create a time lapse video. This is something I‘ve been working on for a while now, fine tuning my skills in order to create technically sound and beautiful time lapses. Once I set it up I let the camera do the work.

I felt more relaxed once I saw the Milky Way rising and I had my composition in place. I also had some free time to look further while my camera kept clicking away. I walked about 30 feet in the opposite direction when I looked up to the starry sky and saw one star faintly flickering, almost like a signal.

I’m not sure why, but suddenly all the reports and discussions I’ve heard about comet NEOWISE had flooded my head… How it was more visible further up north, like in Seattle, but we in Southern California would miss it. Apparently it was going to be hard for us to see the comet, because it’s mostly visible in the evening hours and it’s also close to the horizon, meaning that it would dip below it before complete darkness. It’s also getting less pronounced as it moves away from earth, blah blah blah. The usual expert advise…

Still, I had a feeling. I couldn’t tell what I was seeing so I stopped my camera, ruining my process, turned it around and took a shot. After the longest 20 seconds of my life, this is what showed up on my camera’s display:

It was Comet NEOWISE — or more scientifically C/2020 F3! I wasn’t expecting it at all but it was a nice confirmation yet again, if not a life lesson, to not let expert opinions cloud your decisions, or interfere with your goals.

I wanted to see that sucker much closer. I switched to a longer lens and let my time lapse record the comet, since it was going to be another 4400–6000 years before I’d get another chance! Haha! This sight ended with clouds moving in and covering the dipping comet, but by then I had my clip and the memories.

On my way out I had a few more opportunities to capture the Milky Way, now sitting completely vertically above the desert landscape. No matter how many times I see it, I’m always filled with awe. Especially when I think about the fact that what’s visible to us was transmitted lightyears ago and some of the stars have already extinguished. In reality, we’re watching the past today.

© 2020 Attila Adam