Skies cleared wonderfully this evening, so I set up my camera at my church property and snapped away!
Here are the first images to be processed, I'll get to the rest later this week.
Image one is a stacked composite using Astro Pixel Processor to register and stack the comet and PSP to enhance the image. The anti-tail is plainly visible.
Comet A3 - October 15, 2024 7:28 pm EDT Canon 70D - 22 stacked subs 70mm, ISO 400, f/5 5sec per sub
Image two is a single photo, taken at the end of my session at 18mm, processed in PSP to enhance the image.
What's so special about an anti-tail? Well ... ordinary comet tails always point away from the sun. That's because they're created by solar radiation pressure and by solar wind streaming out from our star. But – as of Sunday – Comet A3 also has a rare anti-tail pointing toward the sun. An anti-tail appears as Earth crosses the comet’s orbital plane, as it has been since Sunday and will be through this evening. A discussion of A3's rare anti-tail can be found at EarthSky.
“Unlocking the Cosmic Secrets: The James Webb Space Telescope”
Join us on a captivating journey beyond the visible spectrum! The JWST, humanity’s latest cosmic sentinel, is poised to revolutionize our understanding of the universe. Imagine peering through the veil of dust and time, witnessing the birth of galaxies, the dance of exoplanets, and the cosmic symphony of star formation. In this exclusive talk, we’ll delve into the cutting-edge science, awe-inspiring innovations, and mind-boggling discoveries that await us. Buckle up, stargazers—Webb has already challenged our understanding of the Universe and is continuing to unveil the cosmos as never before!
All programs are Rain or Shine. Time machines will be provided by the Westminster Astronomy Club.
Date: Saturday, October 19, 2024
Time: 8 p.m. - 11 p.m. Eastern
Location:
Soldiers Delight Environmental Area 5100 Deer Park Rd. Owings Mills, MD 21117
Tonight was the first evening that I expected comet Tsuchinshan-Atlas to be visible, possibly with the naked eye, but certainly in binoculars. Originally, I was going to view it at my church in Westminster, but the overlook on Deer Park road, just west of the Soldiers Delight Visitor Center (where I give lectures every third Saturday evening) was just a couple of minutes from where I live and has a nice parking area facing west.
I arrived at 6:00PM and there was already about 10 or so folks gathering to photograph the comet. Had a great time talking with everyone while waiting for the sky to darken a bit and the comet to show. Some rather thick clouds were obscuring the western horizon, but as soon as it got reasonably dark Tsuchinshan-Atlas made it's appearance. It appeared to be quite dim, but that could have been due to the cirrus and cirrostratus clouds covering the area. Fairly easy to spot with binoculars - tail extending about 10 degrees nearly straight up.
Comet Tsuchinshan-Atlas - October 13, 2024 - 7:41PM EDT Canon 70D - 32mm f/4 ISO 800 10sec Processed in Paint Shop Pro
Weather prospects are still fairly good for the next few evenings, and with the comet rising a bit each day it should be easier to pick out. I'll be imaging it every night, weather permitting.
Although I try to announce when astronomical events will happen reasonably in advance of the event auroras are hard to anticipate and predict. Partially because I've never seen one myself and it is very rare to see them at all this far south (they are a northern sky event, hence the popular name "Northern Lights".
However, I was ready to post about the likelihood of seeing the aurora after 10:00pm tonight when I get a Facebook notification from my astronomy club (WASI) that the event is happening NOW (that was at about 7:00 - 7:30 pm). It is still possible to see it throughout the evening, but the major portion may have already gone by.
Here are a few pics from my iPhone taken from my front yard in Reisterstown, MD.
Comet Tsuchinshan-Atlas (C/2023 A3) should be bright enough to see with the naked eye very soon! The comet will be closest to Earth this Saturday but should be visible through the end of October given that there are clear skies. It will get dimmer as it climbs higher in the western sky so if you want to see it without optical aid early in the month would be preferable. It will still be low in the sky so seek out a good location that won't have trees or buildings in the way.
To get the best view of the comet, go outside about an hour after sunset and look west. While you should be able to see the comet with the naked eye given clear skies, binoculars and telescopes will give you a better view of it.
Here is a chart showing the location of the comet through October.
Ok, if you've been keeping up with the astronomy news of the last few weeks you already know about comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS) (see my post of Aug 31). In mid-October it should be well placed in the western sky just after sunset for those of us in the northern hemisphere and rising higher every day afterward. Reports from folks down in NZ and Aus have indicated that it has survived the perihelion passage (Sept 27) and is putting on a great show. I'll be posting an update later this week.
Tsuchinshan-ATLAS - photo by Ian Griffin Mount John - Lake Tekapo South Island NZ
But the exciting news is that the ATLAS survey in Hawaii has discovered another new comet (September 27, 2024) that could become bright in Earth’s skies. This comet is so new it’s still waiting for its name (current designation is A11bP7I). Predictions for the comet have it reaching as bright as magnitude -5 to -7 when it comes closest to the sun, at perihelion, on October 28. That would make the comet even brighter than the brightest planet, Venus. It might even be visible in the daytime sky. As with Tsuchinshan-ATLAS, this comet will first make its appearance in the southern hemisphere before making its debut in the north during the early morning hours in late October and early November. A11bP7I is part of the Kreutz sungrazers. These are comets that come perilously close to the sun, where they can disintegrate or, if we’re lucky, become fantastically bright. We'll see.
“Unlocking the Cosmic Secrets: The James Webb Space Telescope”
NOTE: Due to unforeseen circumstances, the September 21st event (same topic) was cancelled at the last minute. The same topic is therefore being offered in October.
Join us on a captivating journey beyond the visible spectrum! The JWST, humanity’s latest cosmic sentinel, is poised to revolutionize our understanding of the universe. Imagine peering through the veil of dust and time, witnessing the birth of galaxies, the dance of exoplanets, and the cosmic symphony of star formation. In this exclusive talk, we’ll delve into the cutting-edge science, awe-inspiring innovations, and mind-boggling discoveries that await us. Buckle up, stargazers—Webb has already challenged our understanding of the Universe and is continuing to unveil the cosmos as never before!
All programs are Rain or Shine. Time machines will be provided by the Westminster Astronomy Club.
“Unlocking the Cosmic Secrets: The James Webb Space Telescope”
Join us on a captivating journey beyond the visible spectrum! The JWST, humanity’s latest cosmic sentinel, is poised to revolutionize our understanding of the universe. Imagine peering through the veil of dust and time, witnessing the birth of galaxies, the dance of exoplanets, and the cosmic symphony of star formation. In this exclusive talk, we’ll delve into the cutting-edge science, awe-inspiring innovations, and mind-boggling discoveries that await us. Buckle up, stargazers—Webb has already challenged our understanding of the Universe and is continuing to unveil the cosmos as never before!
All programs are Rain or Shine. Time machines will be provided by the Westminster Astronomy Club.
After a great run of clear nights here in Maryland (and I took advantage of that by imaging three new deep space objects - to be posted later this month) there are a few items still upcoming.
Lunar Events
During the night of September 17–18 we will be treated to a partial lunar eclipse; and very partial at that. This will be the first and only time the Moon ducks into Earth’s umbral shadow in 2024 - covering a teeny, teeny bit of the moon in darkness. Mid eclipse occurs around 10:44 pm EDT.
Eclipse phases by time zone
Eclipse Event
UT
ADT
EDT
CDT
MDT
PDT
AKDT
Penumbra first visible?
~1:30
~10:30 p.m.
~9:30 p.m.
~8:30 p.m.
~7:30 p.m.
—
—
Partial eclipse begins
2:12
11:12 p.m.
10:12 p.m.
9:12 p.m.
8:12 p.m.
7:12 p.m.
—
Mid-eclipse
2:44
11:44 p.m.
10:44 p.m.
9:44 p.m.
8:44 p.m.
7:44 p.m.
—
Partial eclipse ends
3:17
12:17 a.m.
11:17 p.m.
10:17 p.m.
9:17 p.m.
8:17 p.m.
7:17 p.m.
Penumbra last visible?
~4:10
1:10 a.m.
12:10 a.m.
11:10 p.m.
10:10 p.m.
9:10 p.m.
8:10 p.m.
Partial eclipse phases and times on September 17–18, 2024. Dashes indicate the Moon is still below the horizon for that time zone. Source: USNO and Sky and Telescope
On September 17th, the morning before the eclipse, observers in the western half of North America, Hawai'i, and parts of Indonesia and Australia can watch the waxing Moon occult the planet Saturn. Check the International Occultation Timing Association's website for a map and details on times for individual cities.
Five mornings later on September 22nd, the waning gibbous Moon occults the Pleiades star cluster. The passage is nearly central for many U.S. locations and multiple stars will be covered. Observers in the eastern half of the country will see the occultation during morning twilight; in the western states it happens in darkness.
Here is the position of the Moon at 6:00 am for the Baltimore MD area. The sky will be reasonably dark but getting brighter soon after. Telescopes and binoculars will provide a pretty view and you may even be able to witness some occultations (Electra (17) at about 6:11 and Merope (23) at 6:48 for Reisterstown MD.)
Soldier's Delight Star Party
On Saturday evening, September 21, 2024, at 8:00 - 11:00 pm, meet us at Soldier's Delight visitor center for a great talk on the James Webb Space Telescope. We'll discuss the building of the massive telescope, it's launch, where it is now and the science it was designed for. Lots of awesome photos will be presented. In addition I'll discuss and provide information on the Pleiades lunar occultations.
Soldiers Delight Natural Environment Area 5100 Deer Park Road Owings Mills MD 21117
