Observation by Nick James: C/2023 A3 with anti-tail

Uploaded by

Nick James

Observer

Nick James

Observed

2024 Oct 13 - 19:46

Uploaded

2024 Oct 14 - 15:26

Objects

C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS)

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Constellation

Virgo

Field centre

RA: 14^h55^m
Dec: +00°18'
Position angle: +61°10'

Field size

20° × 14°

Equipment

Sony A7s iii + 100mm, f/2 Canon lens

Exposure

40x3s

Location

Vistors' Centre, La Palma

Target name

C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS)

Title

C/2023 A3 with anti-tail

About this image

This is a stack of 40x3s calibrated frames from last night (a single uncalibrated frame is here). I've stacked them with a sigma-clip to get rid of all the Starlink satellites. This stack clearly shows the short anti-tail spike in the opposite direction to the main tail. We're just crossing the comet's orbital plane and so this is all the old dust seen edge on. This was predicted (see here) and it is nice to see it for real despite the cloud.

Files associated with this observation

2023a3_20241013_1946_ndj.jpg (675.9 kB)

Like this image

Steve Knight, Peter Carson, Dominic Ford, Honor Wheeler, Brendan Tynan

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