Comet G3 ATLAS versus Starlink over Argentina

Comet G3 ATLAS versus Starlink over Argentina

Astrophotographer Eduardo Schaberger Poupeau: "On Monday, January 20th, I captured this image of comet C/2024 G3 ATLAS on the horizon, its nucleus now disintegrated after venturing too close to the Sun at perihelion. Yet, it left behind a spectacular tail, a luminous reminder of its fleeting visit. The scene is enriched by elements deeply rooted in our region: an old, weathered windmill missing some of its blades, serving as a perch for a "Carancho" (Caracara plancus - Southern Caracara), a characteristic bird of the central Argentine plains. To the left, as a nod to modern times, the streaks of a Starlink satellite train cross the sky, adding an unexpected contrast between nature and technology. This image bridges the ephemeral and the eternal, a reminder that even though the comet will soon disappear, its story will continue to shine. The photo was taken with a Canon R6 Mark II camera and a Sigma 105mm f/1.4 lens mounted on a fixed tripod without tracking."

C/2024 G3 ATLAS is a non-periodic comet. It reached perihelion (closest approach to the Sun) on January 13, 2025, at a distance of 0.09 AU (13 million km) from the Sun. It is potentially the brightest comet of 2025, with an apparent magnitude reaching −3.8 on the day of its perihelion. The comet is visible in the southern hemisphere before and after perihelion. It can only be observed in the daytime sky around perihelion in the northern hemisphere.

Comet C/2024 G3 was found by the automated Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System (ATLAS) on April 5, 2024, in images obtained with a 0.5-m reflector telescope located in Río Hurtado, Chile. ATLAS is funded by NASA's planetary defense office, and developed and operated by the University of Hawaii's Institute for Astronomy.

Starlink is a satellite Internet constellation operated by Starlink Services, LLC, an international telecommunications provider that is a wholly owned subsidiary of the United States-based aerospace firm SpaceX, providing coverage to over 100 countries and territories.

Image Credit: Eduardo Schaberger Poupeau
Eduardo's website: https://www.eduardoschaberger.ar
Capture Location: Rafaela, Provincia de Santa Fe, Argentina
Image Date: Jan. 20, 2025

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