It is around 10:30 pm, the middle of July and I have chosen to get my last good shot of the Comet Neowise, otherwise known as C/2020 F3, at Meyers Beach, Oregon. As some may recall, Neowise was the brightest comet to visit the Northern Hemisphere since Comet Hale-Bopp in 1997. It was bright enough in July to be seen with the naked eye. Photographing Neowise presented a challenge for those of us on the West Coast as the comet rose from the Northwest and moved from west to East through the night. It is summer, and the sun sets at 8:50 pm, so I am in the early part of Astro Daylight. Fortunately, the moon set at 6:30 pm and is on its way to a new moon.

Meyers Beach is one of my favorite places to visit along the Oregon coast, with its group of 5 or so large sea stacks. What surprises me is that these seas tacks have no creative name other than “Rocks.” There is Cave Rock to the north and Henry Rock to the south, but here they are just “rocks.” Oregon boasts that Meyers Beach is one of the many beautiful beaches to visit, and it is so. I have decided to make my journey here because I figured out via PhotoPills that this would be one of the best spots to get an image of Neowise with an interesting foreground. Meyers Beach also has the advantage of having one of the darkest night skies along the coast.

So I set up my tripod at the south end of rocks looking North, Northwest, and began shooting. Watching the comet move to the East as the evening progressed was amazing. My only real challenge was keeping the car headlights out of the rocks, as this part of the beach is right next to Highway 101.