Comet Machholz Passes the Pleiades

Comet Machholz was an easy object for unaided eye as it approached within two degrees of the Pleiades on the night of January 7-8, 2005. This photograph was taken with a Nikon D70 digital SLR and thirty year old Nikkor f/1.4 50mm lens. Exposure was 10 seconds at f/1.4 with CCD sensitivity set to ISO 1600 equivalent. Update: CCD images capture the comet's tails.