Firstly an apology for not letting you know about Comet Tsuchinshan sooner in all the excitement of it’s morning appearance in late September.
The good news is, this weekend, October 11-12, it returns to visibility from its morning display in late September to be the brightest comet in 13 years from what we saw in late September and it could get even better than that to be a “Lifetime” Comet. FOr me I am thinking back to comet McNaught in 2009 which was a truely Great Comet, and the best I have ever seen by far.
Comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS). Was discovered in January 2023, this comet visits the inner solar system once every 80,000 years based on calculated orbit and is a first time visitor from the distant Oort Cloud, some sources say it may never return in fact, but at 80,000 year it’s the same outcome 😎
Comet Tsuchinshan reached a brightness of magnitude 0.4 on October 2, surpassing our most recently visible Comet C/2020 F3 (NEOWISE). From October 12, it should be visible to the naked eye in the western sky during early evening. So grab a few friends and have a sunset Comet gathering!
As the comet approaches the Sun, its coma expands, releasing dust and forming a long, brilliant tail which is clearly visible now in images from space!
To observe, find a clear view of the western horizon, away from obstructions. Look to the right of and below Venus, the brightest object in the area, to spot the comet against the still bright twilight evening sky, and it should get better on subsequent nights !
An old trick is looking 👀 at it out of the corner of your eye, this is the averted vision technique by gazing slightly to the side (this is your more light sensitive peripheral vision) instead of staring directly at the comet.
If you want to capture images, resting your smartphone against a pole or rail, or even better on a tripod will give you a long expose shot, showing more detail. If you have an SLR camera even better and I probably don’t need to tell you how good those shots can be with the right exposure and composition.
Of course comets are like cats 🐈 they have tails and do what they want ! So anything from a fuzz ball to the best comet you have ever seen is possible
The chart on our webpage shows its position from the 12th from FNQ, but it will climb higher in the sky each night thereafter as it moves away from earth. The photo is my capture of Tsuchinshan in the morning sky in late September .
I would love to see any images you get & also check out our FB page for the latest on this Comet !
COMET C/2024 S1 ATLAS
This brand new comet could be even more spectacular than Tsuchinshan as a member of the Kreutz Sun Grazing comet family.
It is travelling in an orbit just like the Great comet of 1965 Ikeya-Seki which is like few we have seen !
It’s bigger than C2011 Lovejoy which has been one of my personal best. It must survive perihelion however, which will occur on October 28.
Corona Boralis Star to go Nova
Yes… we are still waiting!
Taurids Meteor Shower
This meteor shower is now active in Taurus and though low in number can be brilliant.
The planets return to the evening sky
Saturn is high in the NE evening Sky and the rings are almost edge on, taking over 200x magnification to see the tiny gap near the planet.
Venus is High and obvious in the West
Jupiter returns to the late evening sky
Mars is tiny but obvious in the morning sky.