Observation by Nick James: C/2023 A3

Uploaded by

Nick James

Observer

Nick James

Observed

2024 Oct 14 - 20:06

Uploaded

2024 Oct 31 - 23:12

Objects

C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS)

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Constellation

Serpens Caput

Field centre

RA: 15^h15^m
Dec: +01°27'
Position angle: +61°05'

Field size

30° × 26°

Equipment

Sony A7s, 50mm, f/2

Exposure

32x4s

Location

La Palma

Target name

C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS)

Title

C/2023 A3

About this image

I have finally had some time to start processing the images I brought back from La Palma. This is a 50mm lens view from a camera on a fixed tripod which was taking 4s exposures which I will use in a timelapse. An example of an individual frame is here. The images have been calibrated and then stacked using sigma-clipping to get rid of the satellites. An exponential fit to the sky gradient was then removed from the final stack.

At the time this image was taken the comet's head was around 6 degrees above the horizon and the 90% illuminated Moon was behind the camera hence the bright background. The camera at the bottom of the frame in the middle is the one that took this image. This was on the day of the orbit plane crossing and the anti-tail points down to the horizon. The main dust tail appears to split and curve upwards after ten degrees or so.

The view of the long tail with the naked eye was impressive despite the Moon.

Files associated with this observation

2023a3_20241014_200623_ndj.jpg (1.8 MB)

Like this image

Grant Privett, Martina McGovern, Nick Quinn, Callum Potter, Graham Winstanley, Nicholas Freeman, Mike Foulkes, Dominic Ford, Alan C Tough, Philip Masding, Ron Johnson, Mike Greenhill-Hooper, Brendan Tynan, Peter Carson

Comments

Grant Privett, 2024 Nov 01 - 00:28 UTC

Spectacular anti-tail!

Nick James, 2024 Nov 02 - 09:49 UTC

Here's the timelapse of all the frames from that camera. The image stack here is from a small set of those frames but it shows how important sigma-clipping is given the number of Starlinks visible in the timelapse.

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