Comet C/2011 W3 Lovejoy is now clearly visible to the naked eye in the pre-dawn sky in the Southern Hemisphere. This picture is taken from a farm just outside Levin in New Zealand's North Island, looking South East over the Tararua Hills.
Comet Lovejoy is seen as it leaves the tail of Scorpius, now heading due South for the constellation Ara. The tail is overlaying the stars of the constellation Norma.
Date & time: 26th of December at 4:05 am local time (1h 41m before sunrise, 15:05 UT).
Camera: Olympus XZ-1 compact camera mounted
on a tripod.
Settings: F3.2, 60s exposure, ISO 400, 92mm focal length (@35mm equivalent).