C/2023 A3 Tsuchinshan-ATLAS

comet

With only a 30 minute window between sunset and its disappearnce behind the trees, I managed to get this image of the comet.

C/2023 A3 Tsuchinshan-ATLAS

2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan.ATLAS) is a comet from the Oort cloud discovered by the Purple Mountain Observatory in China on 9 January 2023 and independently found by ATLAS South Africa on 22 February 2023. The comet passed perihelion at a distance of 0.39 AU (58 million km; 36 million mi) on 27 September 2024, when it became visible to the naked eye.

Between now and the end of October, look west just after sunset and you might be able to see it. It will get higher and higher in the sky with each day, but also dimmer and dimmer. So your best bet is to do it now before it gets any dimmer.


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October 10, 2024 Northern Lights