Visible now! Comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS)

 

It is not usually that I get to see two astronomical phenomena in the identical week, however that is what has occurred. The opposite night time was an extraordinary display of the aurora borealis in my a part of Central California (and many of the remainder of the decrease 48 states and Alaska). And tonight was my first take a look at a comet since 2020. Comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS) is now seen within the west shortly after sundown. Will probably be rising greater within the sky every night time throughout the the rest of October, however it is going to be dimmer every night time.
I’ve had a spotty relationship with comets through the years. Comet Neowise confirmed up in 2020, however my photos were not great. The 2 best comets I ever noticed appeared in 1996 and 1997, about 5 years earlier than I bought any type of digital pictures gear. I’ve nice reminiscences of comets Hiyakutake (1996) and Hale-Bopp (1997). They have been really spectacular, and Hale-Bopp was particularly brilliant within the sky after I was crossing the deep darkish skies of the Basin and Vary province in the course of the night time on an extended journey.