Comet C/2023 a3

[Ben]

I had read about this comet, then forgotten all about it until I stepped out tonight to let Steve do his business and I put my NODs on. As I was scanning the sky for satellites, I saw the below. I couldn't see it with my naked eye, but man did it pop in the NODs. The image looks a little crooked because I ran into the house and just threw my NVG recorder on, so it's not aligned right. This is about 90min after sunset and I just barely caught it before it dropped below the horizon.

I'm going to go out earlier tomorrow night. It's supposed to be visible with binoculars for about the next two weeks on the Western horizon, but the moon was out tonight, which was problematic. Around 19OCT, the moon should still be below the horizon while the comet is above it, so that might be a better viewing time, even if the comet is farther from the Earth.

[HankB]

The "experts" were saying it was going to be SO bright it would be visible in daylight. I looked for it yesterday and - not having NODs - saw no sign of it. Sky was pretty clear, too.

95% of the time when "experts" enthuse about some spectacular celestial event - it's underwhelming. If it's visible at all.

[K Frame]

Yep, predicting how visible a comet is going to be is nothing more than a guess.

That one that popped back in the early 1990s... Hale Bopp? Was originally supposed to be fairly dim, but it was incredible.

[Ben]

I clipped the video, which is a bit less grainy and shows the tail fluctuating. Hopefully I'll get some better stuff tonight.

https://youtu.be/SnWDuNh6eVc

[HankB]

Yep, predicting how visible a comet is going to be is nothing more than a guess.

That one that popped back in the early 1990s... Hale Bopp? Was originally supposed to be fairly dim, but it was incredible.

I remember Hale-Bopp - it was bright with a visible tail but so far away it was pretty small. I also remember the hype around Kohoutek back in 1973. Never did manage to spot it.

The last appearance of Halley's Comet in 1986 was underwhelming - it was no more than a fuzzy star.

[Ben]

I was backpacking with friends during Hyakutake. We were in a dark sky area and it was amazing. We slept outside the tents all night so we could watch it. Incredibly bright with the naked eye.

[K Frame]

"I also remember the hype around Kohoutek back in 1973. Never did manage to spot it."

Yep, same. Mom and I went out to try to see it and never could spot it.

Same with Halley's in 86.

But the two in 1996? Holy crap they were amazing, so bright even in Washington, DC, metro.

[dogmush]

Looks pretty low on your horizon.  I wonder where it is down here.  I don't have a clean horizon (lots of trees) but i do have pretty dark sky around here right now  .  Might have to look for that tonight.

[Ben]

Looks pretty low on your horizon.  I wonder where it is down here.  I don't have a clean horizon (lots of trees) but i do have pretty dark sky around here right now  .  Might have to look for that tonight.

It's supposed to be higher in on the horizon each night, but of course getting farther away. Hopefully between sundown and moonrise, there is a sweet spot for viewing this week.

[MechAg94]

I remember Hale-Bopp - it was bright with a visible tail but so far away it was pretty small. I also remember the hype around Kohoutek back in 1973. Never did manage to spot it.

The last appearance of Halley's Comet in 1986 was underwhelming - it was no more than a fuzzy star.

My Dad and I got up early in the morning to see Halley's Comet.  We could see it with binoculars, but it wasn't much to look at.  I was hoping to live long enough to see it again.  We will see.  I talked to my Great Grandfather at the time who saw it when he was young. 

[WLJ]

Yep, predicting how visible a comet is going to be is nothing more than a guess.

That one that popped back in the early 1990s... Hale Bopp? Was originally supposed to be fairly dim, but it was incredible.

Yeah, while a comet's trajectory can be precisely predicted it's out gassing is more or less an educated guess.

[JTHunter]

I clipped the video, which is a bit less grainy and shows the tail fluctuating. Hopefully I'll get some better stuff tonight.

https://youtu.be/SnWDuNh6eVc

Cool video Ben !  Thanks !

As I'm east of St. Louis with a lot of trees around, the chances of seeing this are slim - at best.

[K Frame]

My Dad and I got up early in the morning to see Halley's Comet.  We could see it with binoculars, but it wasn't much to look at.  I was hoping to live long enough to see it again.  We will see.  I talked to my Great Grandfather at the time who saw it when he was young. 

My Great Grandfather was farming/ranch handing in the Dakotas when it appeared in 1910. He was also a writer, and wrote a rather interesting recounting of it.

[Ben]

I just walked out with binos and it's definitely visible that way. Well defined tail.

[Hawkmoon]

Rotated photo:

[Ben]

Got one with the camera, set on manual, 200mm/F6.3/8sec/ISO1000.

I probably have one more chance tomorrow night, but then we have rain wed/thu, so next chance is Friday.

[Hawkmoon]

^^^ Nice! Very nice!

[HankB]

Got one with the camera, set on manual, 200mm/F6.3/8sec/ISO1000.

I probably have one more chance tomorrow night, but then we have rain wed/thu, so next chance is Friday.

Nice picture - "Rule of 300" suggests an exposure of 1.5 seconds (300/200) is the longest you can use without star streaks. You'd have to set the ISO up to about 5000 to get the same exposure, but then you'd probably get some electronic "noise" in the image.

If you REALLY want to expend more effort, you can look for "stacking" and "astrophotography" online . . . but even using the best techniques, atmospheric clarity and sky darkness are limiting factors.

[Ben]

I was focusing (ha ha) more on getting the tail to stand out last night than worrying about star trails. I'm going to try with my 35mm lens tonight so I can get the f1.8 aperture and also try to make it a "comet+landscape" photo. Then also try with my 600mm, but I'll be constrained by f-stop again with that lens.

[WLJ]

Has anyone blamed climate change yet for the comet like they did with the eclipse?

[HankB]

Has anyone blamed climate change yet for the comet like they did with the eclipse?

Why blame climate change when you've got Trump to blame? Judging by how the legacy media has really pulled out all the stops to smear Trump in the last week or two (Internal and private polls must be looking really bad for Kamala.  ) it's only a matter of time before Trump's Comet is blamed for all manner of ills - failed harvests, war, famine, pestilence, dairy cows drying up, floods, drought, blizzards, tsunamis, earthquakes, etc.

[JTHunter]

Got one with the camera, set on manual, 200mm/F6.3/8sec/ISO1000.

I probably have one more chance tomorrow night, but then we have rain wed/thu, so next chance is Friday.

WOW !!
Great shot ! 

[WLJ]

It may not be back

Tyler Gray
@TylerG1998
According to new data, Comet #TsuchinshanATLAS may be on an exit trajectory out of the Solar System altogether, never to return again.

It will still be visible through the remainder of the month, so please, glimpse this object while you can!

https://x.com/TylerG1998/status/1847283701475942543

[K Frame]

The last thing I saw about it said that it wouldn't be back for at least 80,000 years...

So no matter what, it won't be back in any sense that we'll know.

[230RN]

I figure disunirregardless of the low temperatures involved, in 80,000 years it will have evaporated down to a loose assortment of rocks and dust loosely held together only by their own small mutual gravity.

             

Cue Twilight Zone theme.

Terry, 230RN