A Celestial Surprise: Capturing Comet SOHO-5008 During the Solar Eclipse of April 8, 2024

On the memorable day of April 8, 2024, as the moon's shadow enveloped parts of the Earth in a brief midday twilight, a remarkable celestial event was captured by astronomers and photography enthusiasts alike. Among these observers was myself, fortunate enough to photograph a rare and fleeting moment during the total solar eclipse—a moment that would immortalize the doomed comet SOHO-5008.

Comet was not visible by naked eyes, but when I checked one of my HDR images with exposure 2 second, I found that doomed comet SOHO- 5008 is visible on the photo! 

Total Solar Eclipse April 8 2024 and doomed comet SOHO-5008

Canon Ra, Canon EF200mm f/2.8L II USM Lens + Canon 2x III Extender = 400mm, F/8, ISO 200, 4sec - Westport, New York.

Read articles on livescience or spaceweather about this comet.

The comet, named "SOHO-5008", was discovered earlier that day by the vigilant eyes of amateur astronomer Worachate Boonplod. He spotted it in the images captured by the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) coronagraph, marking the beginning of an unexpected celestial narrative. News of the discovery spread quickly, and astronomer Karl Battams of the Naval Research Lab highlighted the potential for ground-based observations during the eclipse. "Ground-based observations of sungrazing comets are extremely rare, so this would be a great opportunity to see an eclipse comet!" Battams had remarked, setting the stage for a once-in-a-lifetime observation.

The capture of comet SOHO-5008 during the solar eclipse is a poignant reminder of the ephemeral nature of our universe. Just as the eclipse brought darkness to the day, it also brought to light a comet on its final voyage. This celestial coincidence underscores the value of staying present and prepared—for in the world of astronomy, as in life, some of the most fascinating moments are those that are unplanned and fleeting.

Astronomical Image Annotation from Astrometry.net

Astrometry.net

The photograph of the disintegrating comet, set against the backdrop of the solar eclipse, will forever serve as a personal memento of a singular moment when the universe unveiled its wonders. It stands as a call to all who gaze upon it to look up and marvel at the vast, beautiful cosmos—a universe teeming with surprises, waiting to be discovered.

The comet NEOWISE reflecting in Wesserlauf Pond, Bethel, New York

Comets are like cats: they have tails, 

and they do precisely what they want. 

- David H. Levy

Both the comet and reflection were visible with naked eye. The comet Neowise has two tails on the photo. Blue color of fist tail was not visible but got it on the photo. To minimize noise I used DeNoise AI software.

The comet NEOWISE reflecting in Wesserlauf Pond, Bethel, New York

Wesserlauf Pond, Bethel, New York. Canon Ra, EF16-35mm f/2.8L II USM, f/2.8, 12.5 sec, ISO 16000

Comet C/2020 F3 (NEOWISE) Canon Ra Bethel, New York

We are hit by tons of material every day, but it is all dust. 

We are all walking around with comet dust in our hair.

- Don Yeomans

Comet C/2020 F3 (NEOWISE). It was bright enough to be visible to the naked eye 7/17/2020. The comet is one of the brightest comets in the northern hemisphere since Comet Hale–Bopp in 1997.

Comet C/2020 F3 (NEOWISE) Canon Ra Bethel, New York

Canon EOS Ra, EF200mm f/2.8L II USM, f/2.8, ISO 40000, 2.5 sec.

Backyard Astronomy - Astrophotography Celestron NexStar 4se

Backyard Astronomy - Astrophotography Celestron
NexStar 4se telescope
Canon EOS 40D and T-Adapter-C90 and Barlow T-Adapter 1 1/4 inches and T-ring for Canon EOS
Celestron 4se telescope with T-Adapter-C90 (93635-A) and Canon EOS 40D
Celestron 4se telescope with Barlow t-Adapter 1 1/4 inches (93640) and Canon EOS 40D
Celestron 4se with Barlow t-Adapter 1 1/4 inches (93640), Erect Image Diagonal (94116) and Canon EOS 40D
Photos of the Moon and the Sun
Celestron NexStar 4se telescope NexImage CCD
Jupiter photos
Piggy-Back Camera Mount for Celestron NexStar 4 telescope (Item# BRKTPIG4)
The Green Comet 103P/Hartley 2 (2010)

 

Moon Celestron 4SE Canon 40D Astronomy Brooklyn Astrophotography

Comet 103P/Hartley 2 from New York City

From the public, his discovery brought cheers. 

From his wife, it drew nothing but torrents of tears. 

"For you see," said Ms. Halley, 

"He used to come daily; 

Now he comes once every 70 years!" 

--Astronomy Jokes

Comet Hartley 2, Celestron 4SE Canon 40D Brooklyn

Comet Hartley 2

The Green Comet 103P/Hartley 2 (2010)
Canon 40D piggybacked Celestron NexStar 4SE,
Brooklyn, NY, October 12, 2010

27 x 60 seconds
Shutter speed of one photo 60 second
ISO Speed 1250
White balance: Daylight
Lens EF28-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM
Focal Length 28.0 mm
Long exposure noise reduction : Disable
High ISO speed noise reduction : Enable


Light pollution was removed in PhotoShop using Filter Noise median and Filter - Blur - Gaussian Blur
Stacked photo using DeepSky Stacker
Finally was edited in PhotoShop

Brooklyn Astrophotography, Celestron 4SE PiggyBack, NYC Astronomy

PiggyBack Camera Mount for Celestron NexStar 4SE (Item# BRKTPIG4), Comet Photo Setup, Brooklyn NYC Astrophotography

NYC Astrophotography, Celestron 4SE

Celestron 4SE and Canon 40D - NYC Astrophotography