Aufnahme des Kometen A3/Tsuchinshan-ATLAS von 38° N

A newly discovered comet has survived its close encounter with the sun and is now visible in northern hemisphere skies.

Comet A3/Tsuchinsan-ATLAS was discovered in January 2023 and promises to be one of the best comets to grace our skies in recent years. I photographed it today and yesterday in Virginia. In the coming days it could grow up to 250x brighter as it approaches the earth. It is, however, difficult to see and photograph at the moment up north as it is very close to the sun. For the next week, with very clear skies, it will be visible in the eastern sky just before dawn. It will then be lost in the sun’s glare before reappearing around October 12 as an evening comet.

The best viewing will be from October 14 onward, as the comet will appear ever higher in the western sky after sunset. Image info:

1st image: Sony A7RIII + Askar FMA180 f/4.4, ISO2000,
15s tracked + 15s untracked for ground image (composited); 37.74 N, -76.3 W; 09:58UTC 29 Sept 2024

2nd image: Sony A7Ill + Sony 50mm f1.2, IS0800, .5s untracked; 37.74 N, -76.3 W; 10:00 UTC 29 Sept 2024

3rd image: Sony A7RIII + Askar FMA180 f/4.4, IS01250,
30s tracked + 30s untracked for ground image (composited); 37.74 N, -76.3 W; 10:04UTC 28 Sept 2024