Comet Tsuchinhan-Atlas Departing the Solar System

Photographers: Philippe Moussette; John Chumack; Shane CooleySummary Author: Jim Foster

Shown above are various photos of Comet C/2023 A3 Tsuchinshan-ATLAS on its way out of our solar system. All were taken this past October (at different magnifications, different moonlight conditions, and from different locations) as the comet, the brightest thus far of the 21st century and the brightest since Comet Hale-Bopp in 1997, sped around the Sun and past Earth. Its closest approach to Earth occurred on October 14 when it was approximately 45.1 million miles (73 million km) distant or about 0.5 astronomical units (au).

 

Quebec City, Quebec, Canada Coordinates: 46.8131, -71.2075Yellow Springs, Ohio Coordinates: 39.8064, -83.8869Mollusk, Virginia Coordinates: 37.7301, -76.5380

Related Links: What Is a Comet?How Comets Work