Comet 12P/ Pons-Brooks Photo Trip: A once-in-a-lifetime opportunity....

This is a small vignette on my experience taking a picture of Comet 12P/ Pons-Brooks near the evening horizon. March 12th 2024 was on the last good night (for my location) to capture this once-in-a-lifetime apparition...
I show some of the elements of the drive and the equipment used. This image was processed mainly in PixInsight with the compositing (landscape) and blending completed in Photoshop.
You can take pictures like this too! Comet Academy (a subsection of the Horizons collection) is a course on the planning and image processing of exclusively comets. See www.adamblocks...
Comet Academy is a one-of-a-kind masterclass on the planning, acquisition, and image processing of comets. The course has detailed step-by-step workflows with data so you can follow along. Easy to follow cheat sheets with innovative processing techniques are provided as well. Be ready for our next big visitor... join Comet Academy. Your purchase can be used towards the full collection of videos found in PixInsight Horizons at AdamBlockStudios.com. (You get a code after purchase.)
More at:
AdamBlockStudio...
See the Reviews:
www.adamblocks...
#pixinsight #comets #onceinalifetimeexperience #onceinalifetime

[@davecurtis8833]

Wonderful location and wonderful image

[@AdamBlock]

Thank you!

[@TheBKsounds]

Brilliant ❤

[@H1Galactica]

WOW ❤

[@AdamBlock]

Thanks!

[@mrrockenrock]

The trip video, setup, and imaging were fun to watch. The result is beautiful. But most compelling to me is the way you quietly ended the video, and no promo. Right up there with your Pale Blue 'Dot: Carl Sagan video. So thank you Adam.

[@retrojet]

That deserves a bigger word than WOW!!! But, what else can we say??!!! Absolutely fabulous!!! 🤩

[@AdamBlock]

Thank you!

[@johngiromini5745]

That is a breath taking photo!! Great job!

[@sharonjohnson1789]

So prefect I almost feel like I was right there. This is so wonderful memorizing. I will keep watching this over and over again. I thank you. I get chills.

[@AdamBlock]

Thank you for watching my video...

[@pixelrubbish]

Damn dude… amazing. Congrats on the perfect capture of a once in a lifetime opportunity. 🥂

[@AdamBlock]

Thanks!!

[@ekalbkr]

That's a knockout Adam! You ROCK!

[@AdamBlock]

Thanks!

[@steveduffy8726]

Like all your images, this one turned out wonderfully well.

[@Jay_C_Astro]

great video and amazing capture.

[@AdamBlock]

Thank you!

[@user-pq1js1bz6h]

Excellent capture truly once in a lifetime.

[@AdamBlock]

Thanks!!

[@graycee4953]

Absolutely astonishing!!

[@samanthajoy7087]

Wow! So amazing!! I have always been fascinated by the sky/space and love photography. I’m from the east coast and have never been out west…not yet at least! I’m no expert photographer by any means, but want to learn what equipment to use to take photos similar to this of the night sky. So this step by step video was very helpful. Thank you for sharing this!

[@AdamBlock]

Thanks for watching!

[@NevadaDesertSkies]

Wow! Just WOW! If that's not APOD worthy then the judges are crazy. Congrats.

[@lastservant]

Adam you have an amazing, beautiful voice. It is very comforting, God bless you.

[@AdamBlock]

Thank you for watching the video!

[@a.o.424]

APOD worthy and also deserves to be framed and mounted. Beautiful work. I hope to see this comet during totality on April 8.

[@mrkutube]

Just amazing feeling after seeing this video!

[@MrSCOTTtheSCOT]

Proper stunning.

[@thierryholer5744]

Awesome image. Breathless ....

[@aimee-lynndonovan6077]

Wow! Wow!

[@thomasn1271]

well, I'm impressed. Good job!

[@AdamBlock]

Thanks!

[@genoafire1]

Thanks for sharing the capture information Adam.

[@Tony-sq4je]

Awesome!!!!!

[@michaelmulcahy8585]

Well done Adam with a great result!

[@micnek]

WOW, what a great image - amazing!

[@Calzune]

Thats amazing Adam! Finally we can see you out in the field :D

[@pompeymonkey3271]

That image is absolutely brilliant. Thank you :)

[@diegothecat1862]

awesome shot! Very impressive considering how hard it is to learn and use the equipment you have. Not to mention the planning, eye for a shot, execution, video creation, and more. Great job!

[@Zealor365]

Nicely done, Good capture.

[@AdamBlock]

Thank you!

[@jorgediehl6845]

Sensacional!

[@Nick-jr9pc]

Amazing image 🤩

[@billchiles7734]

Fantastic shot and great work bringing it out!

[@guidobel4860]

Amazing!!!

[@jesusbilbao]

Beautiful!

[@Larpy1933]

That is a phenomenal creation.

[@AdamBlock]

Thanks!

[@erielakemusic]

nicely done......😎

[@CanadianHGHLNDR]

awesome capture!

[@thankyougreen]

Well done! Beautiful picture ❤

[@Arcteek]

I've been into astro for 8 months now. I've watched hundreds of videos and bought quite a lot of gear. This picture is one of the most breathtaking ones I've seen so far.

[@AdamBlock]

Glad it could be an inspiration!

[@quantanium1077]

what a shot!

[@Hrishi-Joshi-astro]

Thank you for the step-by-step walkthrough. Well-made video and mind blowing image composition!!!

[@AdamBlock]

Thanks for watching!

[@elbass0]

Astonishing.

[@richardasarisi3105]

Whoa awesome job Adam!!!!!

[@junluo4381]

Very immersive vlog. Thanks for sharing the experience!

[@sjbastro]

Superb result. Great detail in the tail and the balance between the comet and Andromeda Galaxy. Inspiring stuff!

[@AdamBlock]

Thanks for checking it out...

[@astrocatinfo]

Outstanding work Adam!! And that lens just amazingly bright. But the results are just amazing and due to your great knowledge and processing skills 🙌🏽

[@apdeshpande]

Mind blowing 👌🏻👌🏻

[@Chorge1972]

Incredible

[@edSMITH-pq8cl]

out standing, fantastic work.

[@AdamBlock]

Thanks!

[@AMonikaD]

Lovely

[@jasonrist6582]

Extraordinary photo. Prize worthy. ❤

[@AdamBlock]

Thanks!

[@ScottGridleyPHD]

VERY well done!

[@AdamBlock]

Thanks!

[@dmo5962]

As usual, another spectacular photo!

[@garyemc2]

WOW!!! Stunning shot Adam.

[@AdamBlock]

Thanks!

[@jacobgerritsenfilms3559]

I tried the same idea in cold windy Maine and your results are so much mind blowing better!! Congratulations!

[@AdamBlock]

Thanks!

[@figzastro-photography]

Great Picture.

[@ffme33]

Oh wow I can't remember what I did on this date but you did something incredible, thank you

[@AdamBlock]

Thank you for watching!

[@astrofromhome]

WOW!!! An amazing image Adam! APOD guaranteed!

[@massimouberti]

Awesome job Adam ! Comet Academy exam…Just on the wayback from once in lifetime chance to get 3 comet in one night 12P C/2021 S3 and C/2023 A3 😅 10 days mission with 700km.

[@AdamBlock]

Wow... good luck!

[@Mazufa]

I myself have photographed Pons Brooks on our astronomical association's remote star market, which we members can use for free! :) Pons Brooks is the most beautiful comet I've seen so far and it looked amazing through a telescope! It's a shame that there won't be a second time because it won't happen again until 70 years later :( I also hope that I will have time to see Halley's Comet in my lifetime, which I have never seen before, and the next time will be in 2061 and I will be 72 years old then.

[@chridignan9178]

Beautiful. Congrats.

[@AdamBlock]

Thank you!

[@kavnaspace]

Stunning result there mate and thanks for the mountain reveal as well, cheers ;-]

[@AdamBlock]

Thanks!

[@gerrydoherty52]

Superb image 👏👏🔥

[@AnotherAmateurAstronomer]

Mighty nice pic!

[@jaxonjaxonfied1931]

Dang, very sharp ! I wish I knew how to use a camera this well.

[@Amanda-py1wj]

Thank you for sharing absolutely amazing . Thank you so much!

[@TonyGouge]

Superb image!

[@AdamBlock]

Thanks!

[@KrizAkoni]

Phenomenal

[@calimark7448]

The only place in the world that the saguaro cactus grows. Awesome!!!

[@trumpeterchris]

That came out AMAZING!

[@AdamBlock]

Thanks!

[@batfirewaf123]

Outstanding job, you just knocked that one out of the park! Well done.

[@AdamBlock]

Thanks!

[@jryoung1947]

bravo inspiring so well done

[@AdamBlock]

Thank you!!

[@keithhanssen7413]

I did pretty much the same thing on a rare clear night last Friday from Montana @ 135mm (Andromeda and Pons-Brooks, although your comet tail is MUCH better than mine). Great job pulling that out. I used to have a canon EF 85 lens but the focus ring was super touchy.

[@AdamBlock]

Indeed! I turn the ring..and the focus sometimes DOES NOT change. I don't know why... In addition..there isn't any "overshoot" at infinity. It seems I am right at the end of travel so I can't really go past best focus and come back...

[@keithhanssen7413]

@@AdamBlock is your camera modified? I had a similar issue after my canon r was modified. It wouldn’t reach infinity focus with a lens wider than 135mm. I sent it back and they corrected it. As long as you’re indeed reaching infinity focus, I suppose that is just fine.

[@terrymartin1243]

Absolutely incredible Adam! Thank you so much for sharing.

[@AdamBlock]

Thanks!

[@bluecelox]

Adam, I had no idea you could get such a beautiful final image with a non cooled, DSLR sensor. I love M31 in your image and it turned out so clear and colorful. I also live in Tucson and have a C14 Edge HD that I have been using for several years. Today I was at Starizona purchasing a small Go-to mount for my DSLR to use for the upcoming total solar eclipse. Anyway, I really appreciate your “how to” videos on Pixinsight as well as the other tutorials you provide. They are very informative and you are the go-to person on how to use that software and troubleshoot issues with astrophotographer. Again great job!

[@AdamBlock]

I am glad you are enjoying both the pictures and the content. -adam

[@Krupeshk]

Hey Adam, is it possible to shoot the comet without a tracker? Also do you need to stack all those shots?

[@AdamBlock]

@@Krupeshk Yeah, you can. However if you want it to look large like I show here... tthe more magnification...the more the need to track. With a 50mm lens you can probably do 15-20 second exposures and be OK. Yes, stacking is necessary to get enough signal to see the tail (which I suspect would be important to you!).

[@Si-fp2ij]

Seeing this image gave me goose bumps Adam….Fantastic! Also really enjoyed the trip to the site and the stunning desert 🌵 views Thanks so much for sharing Cheers Simon

[@AdamBlock]

Wow! You have a cacti emoji ...awesome. Thanks!

[@Si-fp2ij]

@@AdamBlock 🤣 Yeah it popped up when I typed desert 🏜️ 🌵

[@aprillisa5950]

Is that galaxy actually that close to earth? How cool!

[@AdamBlock]

It isn't "close" (it is the closest galaxy though). It is around 2.5 million light years away. That IS close enough to make it appear large on the sky.... You might enjoy another picture I made: apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap200925.html

[@scottmcnally]

Great photo!

[@AdamBlock]

Thanks!!

[@ABCMO-bl5pi]

Incredible! That’s not just an APOD, but the photo of a lifetime! You are clearly the Caitlin Clark of astrophotography.

[@AdamBlock]

Thanks! I had to look up who apparently this successful young women is.

[@ABCMO-bl5pi]

@@AdamBlockAnd to continue the metaphor, we can say of your photo that you shot it from the logo! That’s something she does regularly and makes a surprising number.

[@AdamBlock]

@@ABCMO-bl5pi LOL... thanks!

[@terrizittritsch745]

Fantastic Image Adam, congratulations! Next time we’re out that way we’ll have to take a look at that view.

[@AdamBlock]

It really is great. Go just before sunset...

[@vladi385]

Wow

[@bruno3005]

What a great picture you did, congratulation. I should live in Arizona. Here in Switzerland we have only bad weather since non only weeks, sind month. No chance to catch the comet. Very frustrating.

[@AdamBlock]

Sorry...I totally get it. I decide long ago I wanted to be an astronomer..and live in a place that has some clear skies. :)

[@davidswinnard7565]

Given the lack of clears skies here (and the mid-island mountains spine to the west) I've had to seen this comet through others' eye (and lenses). Thanks for this! I've been lucky enough to have been down that way once and hope to get there again someday. (KPNO was a highlight)

[@AdamBlock]

Excellent! Thank you for watching the video.

[@Sam-mv3if]

This picture is amazing! I imagine the comet is too faint for it to be captured in a single post-processed shot like I managed with Neowise? I went out with my camera today and all I could get is a single tiny dot.

[@AdamBlock]

Well... right. You can certainly see it OK in a single 20-30 second exposure. You will capture the tail a little bit. However, you need to stack many images to get the kind of result I show.

[@Sam-mv3if]

@@AdamBlock Do I need a star tracker for the stack? Or can I manage it by manually moving my frame every couple of minutes? Never did a stack before, but I'm really tempted to try for this one.

[@AdamBlock]

@@Sam-mv3if No, if you keep the exposures short (depends on the focal length of the lens) you do not need a tracker. But you do need the kind of software and understanding in how to process the images. That is really the issue! (It is why I made Comet Academy at AdamBlockStudios.com)

[@Sam-mv3if]

@@AdamBlock I'll make sure to check it out, thanks mate!

[@ilovedeermeme]

You be PROUD of yourself! Found ya just in time; the 8th. Something wack with the moon tonight, more than usual compared to just last night.3/18/24

[@NGC-catseye]

Apart from driving on the wrong side of the road, that was an awesome video. Such beautiful landscape. Great comet catch. ✨

[@AdamBlock]

LOL... love that comment. ::)

[@annsidbrant7616]

That's spectacular, Adam! The comet looks gorgeous! And Andromeda makes for a fantastic extra attraction. Tell me something, though. In the beginning of the video, at 0.15, there is a wonderful photo of a nebula and a star cluster. The nebula looks mostly red, but the lower third of the picture is black. Near top is a brilliantly bright blue-white double star, surrounded by an entourage of smaller stars. I feel I should recognize this nebula and this cluster, but I don't. Can you enlighten me?

[@AdamBlock]

That is not common nebula (at least to be photographed at this scale)... so I would not expect that to jump out to you. This is my image of Sh2-140.

[@toanthai]

Wow, the comet came great! My comet tail barely visible. I didn’t get many subs because it was too windy. Maybe I can try again in April.

[@hael8680]

Great image!! I struck out on 12P Pons. Clouds decided otherwise for me 😢

[@AdamBlock]

Sorry..be on the lookout for the hopefully big Fall comet (2023 A3 (Tsuchinshann-ATLAS))

[@chermaedubonnei3992]

Congratulations that's a spectacular photo nicely done professor

[@AdamBlock]

Professor? lol

[@chermaedubonnei3992]

Well it is worthy of national recognition reason being most of these people here in the U.S. hardly know what a comet is & I own a 12" dobsonian telescope just bought

[@cristiansuciu8072]

👏👏👏

[@robertrastlos4512]

I was lucky to see hale-bopp in 1997. Back in these days i used to have a 35mm camera. I made a few photos while he was passing by. Unfortunately i lost the negatives and the printed pictures. Okay, actually i can ask google and get tons of pictures. But it's more than this, it's a part of memories having been there, seeing it with my own eyes.

[@AdamBlock]

Yep...I had just started developing the nightly public observing program at Kitt Peak National Observatory when Hale-Bopp made it is appearance. Hyakutake, the previous spring, was also a marvelous sight- though very brief.

[@philleng480]

Wow, that is a stunner. Did you record the processing as that would be worth seeing too?

[@AdamBlock]

I will be showing an overview of the important considerations in Comet Academy at AdamBlockStudios.com

[@Pawel-rv1ek]

Would be interesting to see how did you combine everything and post process, always struggled with photos containing landscape. Did you use Pixinsight for the sky? Great shot.

[@AdamBlock]

Yes, the bulk of the work was done in PixInsight. I did blend the landscape using Photoshop. I will be highlighting the important steps in Comet Academy.

[@brittanypinsonneault1241]

I took photography for years and struggle with night photos. My grandad used to take film photos through his telescope and develop them. Do you have a video on how you put the photos together?

[@AdamBlock]

Yes, I do. It is a bit technical! It is part of my course called Comet Academy at AdamBlockStudios.com www.adamblockstudios.com/categories/comet-academy

[@animalbird9436]

Now then mr head ❤

[@matforsbon]

Is this a composite image. The foreground mountains should be blurred because of the long exposure and the rotation of the sky relative to the static foreground.

[@AdamBlock]

Yes, the foreground was taken after turning the tracking off. When processed, the foreground is put over the top of the background sidereal-tracked image.

[@johnlyn1]

I don't know anything about cameras but that is one impressive shot. What is that saucer looking light standing upright close to the comet?

[@AdamBlock]

That is our closest galactic neighbor..the Andromeda Galaxy. Of course it is well beyond our solar system (where we are with the comet) approximately 2.5 million light years away.

[@TheMje1963]

Awesome work as alway, Now how can I get a print of this

[@AdamBlock]

I am happy to make prints available. However, I only make metal prints. Contact me through my website at AdamBlockPhotos.com if you want to pursue this.

[@TheMje1963]

@@AdamBlock Awesome, I only do metal myself. They look better and I like the matt finish, Gloss has too much glare if you ask me. I'll contact you through your website.