Observation by Philip Jennings: C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS)

Uploaded by

Philip Jennings

Observer

Philip Jennings

Observed

2024 Oct 12 - 18:24

Uploaded

2024 Oct 12 - 21:30

Objects

C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS)

Equipment

Canon 90D
Canon 70-300mm lens (at 300mm)

Exposure

1.6s, ISO400

Location

Langton, North Yorkshire

Target name

C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS)

Title

C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS)

About this image

And so it begins! My first glimpse of the comet, in rather challenging conditions as there was much low cloud, as well as a strong (and chilly!) wind buffeting the camera tripod. When the clouds parted, it was easily spotted in 10x50 binoculars at about 6 degrees in altitude in a reasonably bright twilight sky. Once I knew where to look, I could see both the coma and a short (~0.5 deg) section of tail with the naked eye.

By grossly contrast-stretching images of the tail (at the same exposure settings as this photo), I could trace it to between two and three degrees in apparent length, which is a promising start considering how early we still are in its run of evening appearances.

It was still an easy binocular object at about 2 deg in altitude, but was then lost by a final flurry of low cloud on the horizon.

Files associated with this observation

image_lores.jpeg (2.4 MB)

Like this image

Nick Hewitt, Dominic Ford, Paul Whitmarsh, Graham Winstanley, Andy Wilson, Callum Potter, Andrew Paterson, James Weightman, Brendan Tynan, Alan C Tough, Honor Wheeler, Nick Quinn, Bill Leatherbarrow, Alex Pratt, David Basey, Jeremy Shears, Mike Foulkes, Peter Carson

Copyright of all images and other observations submitted to the BAA remains with the owner of the work. Reproduction of work by third parties is expressly forbidden without the consent of the copyright holder. By submitting images to this online gallery, you grant the BAA permission to reproduce them in any of our publications.

Registered charity no. 210769
Registered company no. 117572

For more information including contact details, click here.

Our Terms of Use are here.

Our Privacy Policy is here.