{"id":63925,"date":"2024-09-25T09:13:20","date_gmt":"2024-09-25T09:13:20","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/5e97b1ea-7286-41e8-8e15-f4713032b223"},"modified":"2024-09-25T09:39:42","modified_gmt":"2024-09-25T09:39:42","slug":"totally-awesome-to-see-a-comet-from-orbit-astronauts-photograph-comet-c-2023-a3-from-the-space-station","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/bbcskyatnight\/rss_feed\/totally-awesome-to-see-a-comet-from-orbit-astronauts-photograph-comet-c-2023-a3-from-the-space-station\/","title":{"rendered":"“Totally awesome to see a comet from orbit”. Astronauts photograph Comet C\/2023 A3 from the Space Station"},"content":{"rendered":"

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By Iain Todd\n <\/p>

Published: Wednesday, 25 September 2024 at 09:13 AM<\/p>

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If you’ve been waiting all year for Comet C\/2023 A3 Tsuchinshan-ATLAS to reach its best, excited at the possibility of it becoming a naked-eye sight in the autumn sky, imagine what it would be like to see the comet from space.<\/p>

NASA astronauts Matthew Dominick and Don Pettit have been observing and photographing Comet C\/2023 A3<\/a> from the International Space Station and sharing their views on X (formerly Twitter).<\/p>

Comet C\/2023 A3 Tsuchinshan-ATLAS photographed by NASA astronaut Don Pettit from the International Space Station using a Nikon Z9 camera, 200mm f\/2 lens, 1\/8″, ISO 25600. Processed with Photoshop. Click to expand. Credit: NASA<\/figcaption><\/figure>

They were able to spot the comet<\/a> from the Space Station’s cupola, which is a module on the ISS used for observing external activities like spacewalks or approaching spacecraft.<\/p>

Astronauts also use the cupola to watch Earth’s continents and oceans drift by as the Space Station orbits our planet, often capturing incredible images of Earth from space<\/a>.<\/p>

\"Comet
Comet C\/2023 A3 Tsuchinshan-ATLAS photographed by NASA astronaut Don Pettit from the International Space Station using a Nikon Z9 camera, 200mm f\/2 lens, 1\/8″, ISO 25600. Processed with Photoshop. Click to expand. Credit: NASA<\/figcaption><\/figure>

Comet C\/2023 A3 from the Space Station<\/strong><\/h2>

On 20 September, NASA astronaut Matthew Dominick posted a timelapse video of Comet C\/2023 A3<\/a> from space, writing “so far Comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS looks like a fuzzy star to the naked eye looking out the cupola windows.”<\/p>

“But with a 200mm, f2 lens at 1\/8s exposure you can really start to see it.<\/p>

“This comet is going to make for some really cool images as it gets closer to the Sun.”<\/p>

So far Comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS looks like a fuzzy star to the naked eye looking out the cupola windows. But with a 200mm, f2 lens at 1\/8s exposure you can really start to see it. This comet is going to make for some really cool images as it gets closer to the sun. For now a\u2026 pic.twitter.com\/JstaSLJ4Ui<\/a><\/p>\u2014 Matthew Dominick (@dominickmatthew) September 19, 2024<\/a><\/blockquote>