Just hit 500 comet photos in my collection and it made me realize something

I was organizing my hard drive last night (boring task I know) and I noticed I have exactly 503 comet photos saved up. That number really surprised me because I never thought I'd have more than maybe 50. Most of them are from my backyard setup in Tucson where the skies are pretty dark. I started shooting comets back in 2020 when Neowise came through and I got hooked. Each one has its own little story like that faint one from last March that I almost missed. It's weird how a random milestone like that can make you feel like you've actually been doing something meaningful. Has anyone else ever counted up their collection and found a number that caught them off guard?

3 comments

3 Comments

bennett.evan7d ago

Yeah that bit about "each one has its own little story" is the whole thing right there. I organize mine by date and location in folders, it makes it way easier to look back and remember which nights were clear versus the ones where clouds ruined the shot. A simple text file with dates and notes saves you from scrolling through hundreds of images trying to remember what you were chasing.

knight.dylan7d ago

That many photos probably means youve got some really cool transitions between comets that most people miss. Bet you could line up a few from different years and see how their tails changed shape over time.

william_harris7d ago

Wait, is it really that deep though? I mean yeah stacking comet photos over years sounds cool but are we really acting like these things are anything more than balls of ice and dust lighting up for a few weeks before burning out? Most people cant even tell one comet from another unless it's Hale-Bopp level bright. Ive seen people post side by sides and honestly the tails just look like different shades of fuzzy white to me. Unless youre a professional astronomer with some serious gear youre probably just overthinking it. Let the comet nerds have their fun I guess but I wouldnt lose sleep over lining up old photos.