Hunting the Comet A3
A rare guest to our planetary neighbourhood
The Comet A3 (also called Tsuchinshan–ATLAS) has recently made headlines for its magnificent display in the night sky. Although it became visible over the western horizon starting on October 10, 2024, observing it over the Western Ghats of Karnataka proved challenging due to prevailing rainy conditions.
Starting from October 17, the rains had subsided, but cloudy conditions persisted. I tried photographing the sky that night, but to no avail. Venus appeared as a tiny bright dot, and low-lying clouds covered the area. However, the 18th was more promising, as I could glimpse many stars amidst the clouds.
Later, the western sky cleared magically with clouds resting atop the mountains. Using the Stellarium app, I was able to point my camera in the general direction of the sky, and indeed, the comet was visible in the photo!
While the comet was faintly visible to the naked eye, it made a stunning appearance in the photos alongside an extra-bright Venus.
Shortly thereafter, the moon rose in the eastern sky. While it beautifully illuminated the mountains and clouds, it also hindered the naked-eye visibility of the comet. However, the photographs turned out well, with the moonlight highlighting the mountain grass and clouds.
On the day I took the photo, the comet was higher in the sky, but it appeared faint and occupied only a small portion of the sky. I can only imagine how magnificent its view must have been when it was brighter and larger, especially since it won’t return to Earth for several thousand years!
