an old kite—known as C/2023 A3 Tsuchinshan-ATLAS—discovered in 2023 when it approached the inner solar system in its highly elliptical orbit for the first time in documented human history—has recently made its closest approach to Earth.
Stargazers in India not only witnessed the rare celestial sight of Comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS)--which occurred almost 80,000 years ago- in the first week of October 2024, but also shared photographs of the rarest natural phenomena in the sky.
According to astronomical experts, this rare heavenly view It began to develop the week of October 1 and became visible in the low-lying area in the west after sunset. Experts said that if the comet’s tail is well illuminated by sunlight, it could be visible to the naked eye. October 14-24 is the best time to observe, using binoculars or a small telescope.
How can I see it?
The comet will initially appear low on the western horizon in the afterglow about 45 minutes after sunset each day from Saturday, October 12, through the end of the month. The comet can be seen without special equipment, but the best view will be through binoculars.
If you miss it, you won’t be able to see it again. According to NASA, after the end of the month, the comet is not expected to pass by again for another 80,000 years.
Here are some photos shared by Indian stargazers of the rarest celestial sight:
Hanle, Ladakh (cosmic_trails and 5 others)
On the morning of October 1, the astrophotography master class team traveled to Gongma la (4880 m above sea level) to capture the comet. The conditions at Hanle were not ideal for photographing this comet as it was very low from Hanle’s northern latitude, but due to the incredible sky and high altitude it was clearly visible to the naked eye. The comet was too low in the sky from our location and as it rose higher, the sky was becoming too bright due to Twilight.
Bengaluru, Karnataka
Keerthi Kiran M, astrophotographer and member of the Bangalore Astronomical Society (BAS), captured the comet in all its glory. She wrote, “Clicked this picture in the heart of Bengaluru. In the next few days, if the sky is clear, you should be able to see it in the morning between 5 a.m. and 5:45 a.m. This is a stacked image showing the comet’s beautiful, long tail.”
Mahabalipuram, Tamil Nadu
Astrophotographer Satya Narayanan Sridhar captures a stunning photograph of the comet and shares it on his Instagram.
“With a run of favorable weather conditions, we are planning a trip to catch the comet before we lose it to twilight in the coming days. This was a place we frequented: near Mahabalipuram” and “…as twilight dawned, the eastern horizon gave way and the comet peeked out from a veil of clouds that hung near the sea. We were able to detect the tail and coma with the naked eye very easily. An incredibly long queue; in fact, I had to reduce the focal length to 24mm to capture it in its entirety.”
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