Over the past week, comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS) remained at the center of most conversations around astronomy. On September 27, the tailed visitor successfully passed perihelion with its nucleus surviving through the event despite widespread fears of disintegration. Even though the comet is already moving away from the Sun, its brightness remains on a steady rise. This is because C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS) is currently approaching Earth and, on October 12, it will pass its closest orbital point from our planet at a distance of just 71 million kilometers, or roughly 44.1 million miles. At that point, the comet will be visible in the middle latitudes of the Northern Hemisphere.
While astronomy enthusiasts eagerly await this moment, let’s marvel at some of the best photos of the comet captured over the past week from all over the globe.
This stunning image showcases the comet’s tail in all its detail. The photo was captured on September 30 in Namibia.
Here’s how comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS) looked flying over the Sydney Opera House. Captured on October 1, 2024.
This photo was also taken on October 1, 2023, but not from our planet’s surface. It came from the ISS. The station’s robotic arm Canadarm2 can be seen in the foreground.
And this image, also captured from the ISS, shows the comet against the backdrop of another remarkable natural phenomenon — the Northern Lights, or Aurora borealis.
This next photo was taken on September 30, 2024, in the south of Brazil. Captured in the predawn sky, the comet was also accompanied by the Moon’s waning sliver.
This highly impressive photo shows C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS) above Gran Canaria. It was taken on September 28, 2024.
And this image was captured on October 3 in Niigata Prefecture, Japan. The composition is beautifully framed by the mountains, which stand in stark contrast to the pale dawn light, and a sea of forests shrouded in purple mist.
Comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS) and the Magellan Telescopes. Though it may appear the pair was observing the comet, it’s only a lucky coincidence. The photo was taken on September 30 in Chili.
The last picture in our collection depicts comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS) as seen in New Zealand.
Don’t forget that we might also witness another comet at the end of October. However, it’s still unlikely that our new visitor will survive its encounter with the Sun.
