‘Comet of the century’ captured in photos across the globe | Science & Tech News


Stargazers across the globe managed to capture the “comet of the century” as it whizzed across the northern hemisphere. 

Comet A3, also known as Tsuchinshan-ATLAS, did not disappoint astronomers who were anticipating how bright and visible it might be as it came within approximately 44 million miles of Earth on Saturday.

Snaps from across the UK, US and Asia showed the comet within the inner solar system.

The phenomenon roughly occurs every 80,000 years – meaning the comet would have last been visible from Earth when the Neanderthals were walking the planet.

The comet over Dorset. Pic: Kevin Quinn
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The comet over Dorset in the UK. Pic: Kevin Quinn/X

Comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS) is visible shortly after sunset in the western sky over Lake Murray near Columbia, South Carolina, U.S. October 12, 2024. REUTERS/Sam Wolfe
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Lake Murray near Columbia, South Carolina. Pic: Reuters

It is believed the comet came from the Oort Cloud – a giant spherical shell that surrounds our solar system and contains billions of objects including comets – according to the Royal Astronomical Society (RAS).

The comet has been billed as the “comet of the century” in some quarters, the RAS said.

It was discovered independently in January 2023 by two observatories – China’s Tsuchinshan (Purple Mountain) Observatory and South Africa’s ATLAS (Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System) – and was named after them.

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The comet A3 was previously visible from Earth between 27 September and 2 October when it travelled across the southern hemisphere.

And don’t worry if you missed it last night, it should still be visible until 30 October.

Comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS) is visible shortly after sunset in the western sky over the Lake Murray Dam Hydroelectric Intake Towers near Columbia, South Carolina, U.S. October 12, 2024. REUTERS/Sam Wolfe
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Lake Murray Dam Hydroelectric Intake Towers near Columbia, South Carolina. Pic: Reuters

C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS) and its comet tail are observed in the western sky from Kamakura City, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan, after sunset on October 12, 2024. ( The Yomiuri Shimbun via AP Images )
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Kamakura City in Japan. Pic: AP

Dr Robert Massey, deputy director of the RAS, said getting a photo of the comet may be possible, particularly if using a digital single-lens reflex camera.

Comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS, C/2023, with an 80,000 year orbit, passes behind geological formations, tufa spires at Trona Pinnacles, California, U.S. October 12, 2024.  REUTERS/David Swanson
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The comet is seen from Trona Pinnacles, California. Pic: Reuters

The C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan...ATLAS) Comet is visible left from the spire of the Saints Peter and Paul Cathedral after sunset in St. Petersburg, Russia, Saturday, Oct. 12, 2024. (AP Photo/Dmitri Lovetsky)
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A slight view of the comet next to the Saints Peter and Paul Cathedral in Russia. Pic: AP

If you have a good mobile phone camera and a small telescope, he added, you can “hold the mobile phone against the eyepiece of the telescope and try to take a picture that way”.

Dr Massey said that method “worked well” with comets like NEOWISE in 2020.



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