Ancient Comet Tsuchinshan-Atlas at Lake Clifton, Western Australia

Ancient Comet Tsuchinshan-Atlas at Lake Clifton, Western Australia

Astrophotographer Trevor Dobson: "This is an 8 shot stack of comet A3 aka Tsuchinshan ATLAS as it sets above Lake Clifton, one hour south of Perth in Western Australia."

"No, this isn't a dry salt lake, the strong wind this night, coupled with the long exposure, created a sheen on the water. It's taken not long after sunset which probably explains the red hues in the sky."

The Oort Cloud comet, called C/2023 A3 Tsuchinshan-ATLAS, was discovered in 2023, approaching the inner solar system on its highly elliptical orbit for the first time in documented human history. It was identified by observers at China’s Tsuchinshan – or “Purple Mountain” – Observatory and an ATLAS (Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System) telescope in South Africa. The comet was officially named in honor of both observatories. ATLAS is funded by NASA's planetary defense office, and developed and operated by the University of Hawaii's Institute for Astronomy. C/2023 A3 passed perihelion (closest approach to the Sun) at a distance of 0.39 AU (58 million km; 36 million miles) on September 27, 2024. As of Oct. 14, 2024, the comet’s path may take it out of the solar system altogether—it might not be back.

The Oort cloud is theorized to be a vast cloud of icy planetesimals surrounding the Sun at distances ranging from 2,000 to 200,000 AU (0.03 to 3.2 light-years).

Image details: Nikon d810a, 50mm, f/2.2, ISO 4000, 8 x 25 seconds

Image Credit: Trevor Dobson
Image Date: Oct. 23, 2024
Release Date: Dec. 31, 2024

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