                        Astronomy Picture of the Day

    Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our
      fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation
                    written by a professional astronomer.

                               2024 October 7
    A starry sky is pictured with a long bright streak running diagonally
   from the lower left to the upper right. The lower left part of the sky
   sky orange sprinkled with a few dark clouds. Please see the explanation
                       for more detailed information.

                   The Long Tails Comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS
              Image Credit & Copyright: Jose Santivañez Mueras

   Explanation: A bright comet is moving into the evening skies. C/2023 A3
   (Tsuchinshan–ATLAS) has brightened and even though it is now easily
   visible to the unaided eye, it is so near to the Sun that it is still
   difficult to see. Pictured, Comet Tsuchinshan–ATLAS was captured just
   before sunrise from an Andes Mountain in Peru. Braving cold weather,
   this unusually high perch gave the astrophotographer such a low eastern
   horizon that the comet was obvious in the pre-dawn sky. Visible in the
   featured image is not only an impressively long dust tail extending
   over many degrees, but an impressively long and blue ion tail, too.
   This month, as the comet moves out from the Sun and passes the Earth,
   evening observers should be able to see the huge dirty ice ball toward
   the west just after sunset.

               Growing Gallery: Comet Tsuchinsan-ATLAS in 2024
                    Tomorrow's picture: circular sunspot
     __________________________________________________________________

       Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff (MTU) & Jerry Bonnell (UMCP)
            NASA Official: Amber Straughn Specific rights apply.
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                           NASA Science Activation
                             & Michigan Tech. U.

