8 Mesmerizing Photos Of Comet NEOWISE Captured By Photographer Lester Tsai

Back in March of this year, astronomers discovered a retrograde comet using the NEOWISE space telescope and named it C/2020 F3 (NEOWISE) or simply Comet NEOWISE. Fast forward to July, and the comet has gotten close enough to Earth that it could be seen with the naked eye. It is one of the brightest comets seen in the northern hemisphere since Comet Hale–Bopp that was last seen in April of 1997. Needless to say, this unique even attracted the attention of many photographers – including Portland-based photographer Lester Tsai who traveled to the Mt Hood National Forest to capture unique and breathtaking photographs of Comet NEOWISE above Mt Hood.

Photographer Lester Tsai recently captured breathtaking images of comet NEOWISE above Mount Hood

Seeing the comet so close to Earth is an incredibly rare event – Comet NEOWISE will only enter the inner solar system again in 6,800 years.

It took Lester two hours of waiting for the comet to perfectly line up above Mt Hood

“It took two hours of waiting but Comet NEOWISE finally lined up directly over beautiful Mt Hood as the horizon began to fill with color from the approaching dawn,” wrote the photographer under a recent Instagram post.

The comet will be closest to Earth on the 23rd of July

Lester has been shooting at a professional level for 4 years now and has won numerous awards during that time. “Always striving to capture the moment, I also take pride in my technical skill and attention to detail and always do my best to make sure my client’s expectations are far exceeded,” writes the photographer in his bio.

It will only enter the inner solar system again in 6,800 years

The photographer says that capturing the comet was an awe-inspiring experience. “A celestial visitor that has been around since the beginning of our universe. What stories it could tell, what sights it has beheld. How this cosmic being has brought humankind together,” wrote Lester. “Regardless of race, color, sex, creed, age, profession, or any other distinguishing characteristics, we cannot help but gaze towards the heavens and become lost in its beauty. Take a minute to forget everything else going on right now. Just breathe, feel, love. We are all one world, never forget that.”

Comet NEOWISE is one of the brightest comets seen in the northern hemisphere since Comet Hale–Bopp that was last in 1997

Lester’s photos went viral almost instantly, being liked and shared thousands of times in just a few days. The photographer has even started selling prints – you can get one here!

To capture the majestic photographs, Lester used a Sony A7RIV camera and a Sigma 50mm f/1.4 Art lens.

Lester also captured the comet above Haystack Rock on the Oregon Coast