Comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan–ATLAS) with "Anti-Tail" over Canary Islands
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"Comet tails are supposed to point away from the sun. Last night, Nick James of the British Astronomical Association photographed a tail pointing in the opposite direction."
"The 'anti-tail' looked amazing in this image of Comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS I took from 2100m on La Palma," said James.
"When James took the picture, Earth was passing through the orbital plane of the comet, and that is what made the anti-tail. The sharp edge of Tsuchinshan-ATLAS's fan-shaped dust tail briefly appeared to point toward the suna counterintuitive optical illusion."
"The anti-tail will fade in the days ahead, even as the comet itself remains a gorgeous sight in the evening sky. Look west about 40 minutes after local sunset. The comet is easy to find using binoculars and, then, once found, is equally easy to see with the unaided eye. The comet's long tail (the real tail) stretches more than 10 degrees above the western horizon, remaining visible in the moonlight for as much as an hour after the head of the comet sets. Enjoy the view!"
The Canary Islands, also known informally as the Canaries, are a Spanish region, autonomous community and archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean. At their closest point to the African mainland, they are 100 kilometers (62 miles) west of Morocco and the Western Sahara. La Palma, also known as La isla bonita and historically San Miguel de La Palma, is the most northwesterly island of the Canary Islands, Spain.
Image Credit: Nick James
Location: La Palma, Canary Islands, Spain
Nick's website: https://britastro.org/observations/user.php?user=14
Caption Credit: SpaceWeather[dot]com
Image Date: October 14, 2024
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