SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Clear skies should make for some great viewing of the Comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS. ABC10 viewers have sent in their photos of the celestial event.
The one below is from Ken Hunt in West Sacramento. He snapped the photo Sunday at 7:52 p.m. looking west away from city lights. He was able to see it without equipment, but it became much more clear and crisp with his camera equipped with 70-200mm lens. For those in the photography world, he added some extra information about the equipment. This shot was taken on a Nikon 500 DSLR, ISO 1600/f4.5/1.6 secs/70mm, on tripod.
Harvey Ficek also sent in this shot of Comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS from near Volcano in the Sierra foothills. He took this photo Saturday night.
NASA Earth Observatory says this is a once-in-80,000 year sight! The comet comes from the outer reaches of our solar system and was most visible in the Southern Hemisphere and Tropics until October 8. It will be visible in the Northern Hemisphere through much of the week of October 14.
The comet got its name in 2023 from two discoveries. One was when it was identified by observers at China's Tsuchinshan Observatory. The other was when it appeared on an ATLAS (Asteroid Terrestrial-Impact Last Alert System) telescope in South Africa.
A comet presents the long tail-like appearance due to its transformation upon approaching the Sun. The heat causes the ice in the comet to turn to gas and dust becoming a coma and tail that can extend millions of miles.
Monday and Tuesday should be good viewing before clouds roll in Wednesday. Clear skies return Thursday through the weekend.
Do you have photos of the comet? Email them to news@abc10.com or download the ABC10 app and upload them through 'Near Me' feature.
