#Astro, #DeepSky

A Celestial Visitor Over Graz - Comet C2023 A3

Comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS) was discovered in early 2023 by the Tsuchinshan Observatory in China and the ATLAS survey. The comet follows a highly elliptical orbit and is expected to pass close to the Sun in October 2024, potentially becoming one of the brightest comets visible in the night sky. As it approaches perihelion (its closest point to the Sun), it may develop a long, glowing tail due to the sublimation of its icy core, making it a spectacular sight. Astronomers estimate that it will be visible to the naked eye, particularly from the Northern Hemisphere, offering a rare opportunity for observation.

Despite a rather poor weather forecast and some clouds still lingering in the west, we headed to the Uhrturm in Graz to test our luck. At first, we could only make out a few faintly glowing stars but no comet. A brief try with the iPhone’s long exposure mode revealed the comet in the west, where it appeared just minutes after the sun had set. After knowing its position, one could also see it with the naked eye, albeit very faintly. Although clouds blurred the view somewhat, we still managed to capture images like this one.

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