80,000-year haul: Comet C/2023 A3 Tsuchinshan-ATLAS tonight!

[Mousetoescamper]

The comet was obscured by clouds after sunset, but patience paid off and by 7:40 PM I was able to get this photo. Taken along the Susquehanna River, south of Veteran's Memorial Bridge in Columbia, PA.

[Arne]

1. What a picture! Celestial.

[Mousetoescamper]

3. Thanks!

[3catwoman3]

2. Mother Nature has the best...

…special effects.

[Mousetoescamper]

5. Indeed!

[brer cat]

4. Patience pays off. Great shot!

[Mousetoescamper]

6. Thanks!

[CaliforniaPeggy]

7. Omigod, my dear Mousetoescamper!

Stunning! Amazing! Incredible!

Well, you get the idea.

So very first rate. This is worthy of being printed and hung on one of your walls.

[Mousetoescamper]

9. Thanks!

Tomorrow night's show should be spectacular as well, weather permitting. The comet will be visible with the unaided eye for the rest of the month but will move higher in the sky and fade with each passing day. If you can, I highly recommend you try to shoot the comet tomorrow night.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

10. The clouds have been pretty bad lately. I'll have a look. I'd love to get a shot like yours!

~sigh~

[usonian]

8. Give me coordinates!!

I’ve been looking and looking. Actually a star map would help.

I had an eye exam today and things are OK!!!

A great photo!

I’ll tell you something. I grew up in city suburbs, and when I see lots of stars, I can’t make out the constellations.

I am so used to seeing just a handful. An embarrassment of riches.

Life’s weird.

[Mousetoescamper]

11. Tomorrow night will offer the best view for at least 80,000 years.

Look west after sunset (the sun sets almost directly west this time of year) and find Venus to the south (or to your left) and Arcturus, a bright evening star, to the north. The comet is between the planet and the star, higher in the sky than Venus and a little south of where the sun sets. I was the first to sight it tonight among a group of comet watchers gathered along the river. Tomorrow will be the final night it will be easily seen with unaided eyes before it continues to fade as it rises higher in the sky.

I highly recommend that you take your camera or cellphone out tomorrow night, conditions permitting, and try to shoot this amazing celestial occurrence. I saw some pretty good cellphone shots taken by some of my fellow comet watchers tonight. I used a Canon R8 with a 100-400mm lens. Shot at ISO 800, f5 for 11.5 seconds.

Thanks!

[usonian]

19. Nay, thank YOU.

I scanned the sky a couple of evenings with a coolpix, so I had a vast array of focal lengths available, but saw nothing.

I'll take your info, and when i see it, all my cameras (well, ALMOST all) will be ready.

Many thanks for the tips! 🔭

YAY

[CaliforniaPeggy]

21. Your directions/instructions are exactly what I need! I am copying them.

I'm just going down to the beach and from there it should be good--unless we're clouded out.

Thank you!

[Mousetoescamper]

23. You are most welcome!

[CaliforniaPeggy]

25. . . .

[Pas-de-Calais]

12. Very cool! Thanks for the pic

[Mousetoescamper]

13. Thanks!

[ailsagirl]

14. An incredibly beautiful photo!!

[Mousetoescamper]

15. Thanks!

[Dem2theMax]

16. That's one for the history books!

I'm so happy when people share these photos. I live in a bit of a canyon. So not much is visible here. Would love to have seen this with my own eyes, but I am very grateful to see such an incredible photo like this!

[Mousetoescamper]

17. Thanks!

You'll get a chance to see it with unaided eyes tomorrow night, conditions permitting. The western view from my city home is blocked by houses and trees. I traveled 12 miles west to get an unobstructed view and an interesting setting for the photo. If you're able, I highly recommend you find a high spot to view this amazing celestial occurrence!

[ms.pamela]

18. Comet

Your photograph is a work of art, it is so beautiful.

[Mousetoescamper]

20. Thanks!

[2naSalit]

22. Very nice!

I saw it for the first time on Sunday evening, it's huge!

It's been cloudy, just enough to obscure it in the west or too damn smoky to see it clearly. Glad it will be around for a few more days.

[Mousetoescamper]

24. Thanks!

[MiHale]

26. Looks like a painting...absolutely beautiful 👍...

[Mousetoescamper]

28. Thanks!

[nocoincidences]

27. What a gorgeous picture!

That will be hard to improve on. Just perfect.

[Mousetoescamper]

29. Thanks!

[Deuxcents]

30. Even with the lights from the bridge, it's so vibrant against that blue sky. A fantastic sight n thanks for sharing

It’s a perfect picture

[Mousetoescamper]

31. Thanks!

[Grumpy Old Guy]

32. Nice shot!

Tricky exposure!

[Mousetoescamper]

33. Thanks!