{"id":63574,"date":"2024-09-06T07:07:00","date_gmt":"2024-09-06T07:07:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/1ca05be4-2fe4-4905-bf32-98f55b3903d1"},"modified":"2024-09-06T07:39:43","modified_gmt":"2024-09-06T07:39:43","slug":"comet-c-2023-a3-tsuchinshan-atlas-may-grace-our-skies-in-october-heres-how-to-photograph-it","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcskyatnight\/rss_feed\/comet-c-2023-a3-tsuchinshan-atlas-may-grace-our-skies-in-october-heres-how-to-photograph-it\/","title":{"rendered":"Comet C\/2023 A3 Tsuchinshan\u2013ATLAS may grace our skies in October. Here’s how to photograph it"},"content":{"rendered":"

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By Pete Lawrence\n <\/p>

Published: Friday, 06 September 2024 at 07:07 AM<\/p>

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October 2024 is the month when we may or may not see comet C\/2023 A3 Tsuchinshan\u2013ATLAS, depending on whether it survives perihelion on 27 September, when it passes within 58.6 million kilometres of the Sun.<\/p>

Assuming it survives, it should become visible after 11 October, an evening comet visible in darkening twilight.<\/p>

Here we\u2019ll take a look at the best ways to photograph comet C\/2023 A3 Tsuchinshan\u2013ATLAS<\/a>.<\/p>

For more info, read our guide on how to photograph a comet<\/a><\/em><\/strong><\/p>

Comet C\/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS) captured by Kevin Johnson, East Sussex. 6×90″ subs stacked.<\/figcaption><\/figure>

What to expect from Comet C\/2023 A3 in October<\/strong><\/h2>

If C\/2023 A3 performs as predicted, its coma and adjacent tail stub should become visible as twilight darkens, but its full glory won\u2019t be realised until true darkness falls.<\/p>

Of course, as is often the case with comets, near the peak of C\/2023 A3\u2019s brightness, as we wait for true darkness the comet will lose what little altitude it has and consequently the view won\u2019t improve much.<\/p>

In the early period of evening visibility, say 11\u201315 October, the best strategy will simply be to go for broke and capture as soon as you can find the comet.<\/p>

The nature of that capture will depend on the apparent size of C\/2023 A3 and how bright it gets.<\/p>

\"Chart
Chart showing the location of Comet C\/2023 A3 Tsuchinshan-ATLAS. Click to expand. Credit: Pete Lawrence<\/figcaption><\/figure>

Kit and technique<\/strong><\/h2>

Ideally, a wide- to mid-angle lens on a DSLR or similar camera is a great option for photographing C\/2023 A3 Tsuchinshan\u2013ATLAS.<\/p>

That will give you a lot of flexibility and allow you to capture some foreground for context too.<\/p>

It pays to keep your ear to the ground and gather as much live, up-to-the-minute comet information as you can.<\/p>

There will no doubt be lots of photos of the comet online, but if important details like date, time, image scale or equipment details are missing \u2013 as is often the case \u2013 it can take a bit of sleuthing to work out what\u2019s what.<\/p>

\"Image
Image of Comet C\/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS) captured from Kendal, Cumbria, 17 April 2024 by Stuart Atkinson. Equipment: Canon 700D DSLR camera, 300mm lens, iOptron Sky Tracker motorised mount.<\/figcaption><\/figure>

If it\u2019s possible to work out the size of the tail, this can really help save time choosing your lens\/telescope setup.<\/p>

If C\/2023 A3 Tsuchinshan\u2013ATLAS gets as bright as predicted, it could also fall within range of smartphones, so everyone should be prepared to grab a photograph.<\/p>

Again, when you share your images, letting people know what phone you used for the shot could save a lot of time for others hoping to grab their own photographs too.<\/p>

Smart telescopes should be able to get decent images of the comet, although if the tail becomes too long some models won\u2019t be able to contain it all in a single frame.<\/p>

The big advantage of a smart telescope is that it can be very time-efficient.<\/p>

You can be imaging the comet in minutes, which is helpful if the weather\u2019s being difficult.<\/p>

\"C\/2023
C\/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS) from the Southern Hemisphere, captured 1 August 2024, 17: 49 UTC, by Jos\u00e9 J. Chamb\u00f3. Credit: Jos\u00e9 J. Chamb\u00f3 (www.cometografia.es)<\/figcaption><\/figure>

Having said this, smart scopes use plate solving to work out where they are pointing and for this to work, stars must be visible to them.<\/p>

This can prove problematic if an object\u2019s altitude is very low.\u00a0<\/p>

If the comet is as bright as predicted, it may also be captured using planetary imaging setups, such as those that use high-frame-rate cameras for lucky imaging.<\/p>

This technique is good for grabbing detail in the head of the comet, such as jet structures.<\/p>

These can appear as bright features emanating from the nucleus region, sometimes exhibiting spiral patterns caused by the jets venting as the nucleus rotates.\u00a0<\/p>

As long as comet C\/2023 A3 Tsuchinshan\u2013ATLAS doesn\u2019t evaporate, and the clouds stay away, October evenings are set to be exciting and rather busy!<\/p>

Equipment<\/strong><\/h2>