There are two photo sessions, taken on the nights of October 15 and 16, 2024. The first four photos are from October 15, while the rest are from driving to and shooting in Rocky Mountain National Park.

In the comet images from Rocky Mountain National Park, you can see, from top to bottom:

• The clear sky

• The blue lingering after sunset (Rayleigh scattering)

• Smoke (reddish above the ridge line)

• Mountains illuminated by the almost-full moon

Towards the end, all photos have a 10-second exposure. Even at an altitude of over 12,000 feet, the moon and haze made it challenging to see with the naked eye.

To locate the comet, try scanning with your phone camera—at least on an iPhone, this technique helps due to the boost in live preview. It’s also useful for aurora photography; when faint, the aurora can appear as thin gray clouds, but an iPhone preview and long exposure can bring out the color.

Driving to and photographing in Rocky Mountain National Park