Unlike meteors, we don’t see comets very often from Earth, and they are a spectacular sight in space. In late September or early October there may be a rare chance to see Comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS, also known as C/2023-A3 or Comet A3. NASA astronauts track and photograph the icy celestial visitor from the International Space Station. It’s a beauty.
NASA astronaut Don Pettit, an accomplished astrophotographer (and inventor of the zero-G coffee cup), shared scenic view of comet A3 via X on September 22. The images show the bright comet against a dark, star-studded background. The glow of the Earth is visible as a curve in some images. “It’s absolutely amazing to see a comet from orbit,” Pettit wrote. “The prospect of ascending through the atmosphere at edge is truly unique from our point of view.”
NASA’s Don Pettit photographed comet A3 against a backdrop of stars.
NASA describes comets as ‘cosmic snowballs’, consisting of frozen gases, rock and dust. These objects revolve around the sun. As they approach our star, they become warmer and release some of their dust and gases. That’s how comets get their distinctive tails. Comet A3 is working on growing its plumage. “The comet’s tail is still too faint to see with your eyes, but it is moving toward the sun and getting brighter every day,” says Pettit.
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NASA astronaut Don Pettit shared several photos of Comet A3 as seen from the ISS.
Pettit’s ISS crewmate Matthew Dominick did the calculations to determine the comet’s location so Pettit knew where to point the camera to capture the distant object. Dominic earlier tweeted a timelapse of A3 on September 19, describing the comet as looking like a “faint star” to the naked eye.
“This comet is going to produce some really cool images as it gets closer to the sun,” Dominick wrote.
There are some unknowns with Comet A3. It won’t affect the Earth, so don’t worry about that. But sometimes comets break up as they approach the sun. The comet will be closest to the sun on September 27, an event called perihelion. If it survives, it could potentially become so bright that observers can easily see it from the ground.
Some talented photographers have been able to do this Capture A3 from the surface of our planet, but ordinary viewers will have difficulty seeing the comet. That could change in the coming weeks. The best viewing opportunities may occur in mid to late October. The comet’s closest approach to Earth is on October 12.
Comet A3 could become a celebrity in space, but comets are notoriously fickle. We’ll have to keep watching to find out if A3 is a stud or a dud. The astronauts on board the ISS will help keep us informed.
