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Very nice pics Duane and Kirk!  We spotted the comet just east of due W and close to  the elevation of Venus.  Was difficult to see until the western sky darkened a bit and then it was a good binocular object with a 7 to 10 degree tail.  The photos above nicely capture what could be seen with binoculars.  As the comet climbs higher in the west…[Read more]

Nicely done, Josef. We were at Root River Park. It’s a dim naked eye comet, but longer exposures can pull it out nicely. Here’s a vertical image with it a bit higher up in the sky.

C/2023 A3 Tsuchinshan-ATLAS
2024-Oct-12 194mm 2sec f22 ISO3200

This was a much more gratifying view of comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS!  The clouds parted for an unobstructed view and it dewed up and clouded up once the comet set.

In the early evening, I went to Dakota Middle School. There’s a good view of the western horizon from there. On the way, I took a 50th Ave NW I noticed an unobstructed view of the western horizon in the gap between the houses so I observed from 50th Ave NW. I tried to capture the comet by camera. At about 7:10PM I saw the comet in the binocular…[Read more]

C/2023 A3 Tsuchinshan-ATLAS

2024-Oct-12

103mm 2sec f22 ISO3200

If you’re already heading there then I will try to get out there as well.

darn cloud situation has changed quite a bit in the last 2 hours.

Clouds are getting iffy again. I might observe from Autumn Ridge Church. Anybody have plans yet?

I will be at Root River as well.  Headed there now to work on clearing the clouds.

Going to check out the comet at Root River tonight. I’ll try to be there before around 7:00 and wait for the sky to dim. I’ll be there until about 8 when the comet sets.

I would try to see it around 6:30 to 7 pm tonight.  It will be almost due West and at the same elevation as Venus above  the horizon.  The comet climbs higher over the next few days and I’d love to see it next to M5 on the 15th at 7 pm or so.  Root river has a good view of the due W horizon.

Who is up for chasing down comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS on Saturday?  We still have an open invitation to Salem Glen on Sunday, but weather is looking a bit sketchy.  I would like to take every opportunity to see it and hopefully get a better view than in the attached images from the morning of October 2.  It was not visible naked eye or in binoculars.

The sky situation at the beginning of the public observation at Watson Soccer Fields. Two prominent celestial lights can be seen here: Venus and Arcturus. Comet A3’s height above the horizon was about 1.7 degrees lower than Venus. It is probably obscured by clouds in this image.
Tomorrow, Saturday, October 12, comet A3 will be 3.6 degrees higher…[Read more]

thats cool Josef! thanks for posting 🙂

After 8 p.m. I parked on 65th Street, walked to the field and took pictures of the aurora from my tripod. Suddenly I noticed a bright, almost vertical band to the west. I began to wonder what it was. For a few moments I thought it might be the tail of the now set comet A3, which has suddenly become very bright and only the tail is visible.…[Read more]

Very nice Josef.  Here another view from my backyard.

Aurora Borealis over constellation Corona Borealis above 75th ST NW

Geomagnetic storming with nice aurora over 2/3 of sky NOW! (9 pm 10-10-2024)

Look at this fantastic pic from SOHO today of a massive CME and the comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS near the sun!  We may get another G4 geomagnetic storm on Oct 10 and the comet may lose it’s tail!

Thank you! That is good feedback. I will see if I can incorporate it and maybe even put it in the form as a variable for people to enter.

Very interesting John! I wonder if the search could customize a minimum horizon like 5 -10 degrees to refine usable targets.