This week offers an excellent opportunity to view Comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS, as limited clouds should enhance visibility.
In Sacramento, California, residents are enjoying clear skies that allow for spectacular sightings of the comet. ABC10 viewers have shared their photographs of this rare astronomical event. Ken Hunt from West Sacramento captured a stunning image of the comet on Sunday night at 7:52 p.m., taking advantage of the absence of city lights. He managed to see the comet without any equipment, but his 70-200mm lens on a Nikon 500 DSLR significantly improved the clarity of the image. His camera settings included ISO 1600, aperture f4.5, exposure of 1.6 seconds, and a focal length of 70mm, all stabilized on a tripod.
Another memorable photo was sent in by Harvey Ficek, who photographed the comet from near Volcano in the Sierra foothills on Saturday night.
According to NASA Earth Observatory, this is an extraordinary event that occurs only once every 80,000 years. The comet originates from the outer parts of our solar system and was primarily observed from the Southern Hemisphere and Tropics until October 8. It will remain visible in the Northern Hemisphere through much of the week starting October 14.
The comet is named after its discovery in 2023, which included observations from China’s Tsuchinshan Observatory and its appearance in the ATLAS (Asteroid Terrestrial-Impact Last Alert System) telescope in South Africa.
Comets are known for their distinctive long tails, a phenomenon caused when they approach the Sun. The heat transforms the comet’s ice into gas and dust, resulting in a coma and a tail that can stretch for millions of miles.
For optimal viewing conditions, Monday and Tuesday are ideal, before clouds are expected on Wednesday. However, clear skies are forecasted to return from Thursday through the weekend.
If you have captured photos of the comet, feel free to email them to news@abc10.com or upload them through the ‘Near Me’ feature on the ABC10 app.