NASA astronaut takes stunning photos of comet A3 from space
Comets are a spectacular space sight. Unlike meteors, comets are not often seen from Earth. There may be a rare chance to see Comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS, also known as C/2023-A3 or Comet A3, in late September or early October. NASA astronauts are tracking and photographing the icy celestial visitor from the International Space Station. It’s a sight.
NASA astronaut Don Pettit, an experienced astrophotographer, shared scenic photos view of comet A3 via X on Sept. 22. The images show the bright comet against a dark, starry background. The glow from Earth is visible as a curve in some of the shots. “It’s really amazing to see a comet from orbit,” Pettit wrote. “The perspective of rising through the atmosphere on the edge is really unique from our vantage point.”
NASA’s Don Pettit photographed Comet A3 against a backdrop of stars.
NASA describes Comets are like “cosmic snowballs” made of frozen gases, rock and dust. These objects orbit the sun. As they approach our star, they heat up and throw off some of their dust and gases. This is how comets get their signature tails. Comet A3 is busy growing its plumage. “The comet’s tail is still too faint to see with the naked eye, but it is moving toward the sun and getting brighter every day,” Pettit said.
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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 math to estimate the comet’s location so Pettit knew where to point the camera to capture the distant object. Dominick previously tweeted a timelapse from A3 on September 19, describing the comet as a “faint star visible 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 about Comet A3. It won’t hit Earth, so don’t worry about that. But comets sometimes break apart as they approach the sun. The comet will make its closest approach to the sun on September 27, an event called perihelion. If it survives, it could potentially become bright enough to be seen by ground-based observers.
Some talented photographers have been able A3 capture from the surface of our planet, but casual viewers will have a hard time spotting the comet. That could change in the coming weeks. The best viewing opportunities could be mid to late October. The comet will make its closest approach to Earth on October 12.
Comet A3 could become a space star, but comets are notoriously fickle. We need to stay tuned to find out if A3 is a hit or a bust. The astronauts aboard the ISS will keep us informed.
