A satellite leaves a trail of light near the tail of comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS), with an 80,000 year orbit, known as the comet of the century, after sunset near Skopje, North Macedonia. (IMAGE: REUTERS)
People on social media shared photos and videos of the ancient comet C/2023 A3 Tsuchinshan-ATLAS, which appears once every 80,000 years.
The ancient comet C/2023 A3 Tsuchinshan-ATLAS, dubbed the “comet of the century, lit the skies across the northern hemisphere this week. Comet A3, also known as Tsuchinshan-ATLAS, came within approximately 44 million miles of Earth last Saturday, a report by UK broadcaster Sky News said.
The C/2023 A3, a long-period comet, only returns to the inner solar system once every 80,000 years. First discovered in 2023, this celestial object made its debut in the inner solar system on a highly elliptical orbit, marking its first documented appearance in human history. The comet 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, with its official naming honouring both observatories.
Stargazers across the world captured photos of the comet and social media was abuzz with time lapse videos.
Comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS) time lapse from 1847–1937 MST 13 October 2024. Was able to capture the anti tail (and too many headlights). 85mm lens cropped to 16:9 aspect ratio.Ashurst Lake, Coconino National Forest, Arizona.#comet #astrophotography pic.twitter.com/ubUAkgGjCH
— David Blanchard (@dblanchard_AZ) October 14, 2024
Videos showed the comet streaking across night skies over US’ Arizona’s Coconino National Forest, Russia, Macedonia and Mt.Yarigatake, Japan.
