Comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan–ATLAS), discovered in January 2023 by the Tsuchinshan Observatory and the ATLAS project, reemerged from behind the Sun in September and garnered attention from astronomers across the world due to its rapid brightening. On October 7, 2024, the comet entered the LASCO C3 field of view, beginning a series of rare observations accessible to more than just astronomers with specialized equipment.
The first full-resolution science data from the STEREO/SECCHI HI-1 instrument has been made available now, showcasing Comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS in remarkable brightness.
The images, shared by Karl Battams from the Sungrazer Comets project, are currently in their raw form, without any scaling or processing.
The comet’s brightness was anticipated, and these initial images provide a clear view of its current state.
At around 14:40 UTC on October 7, Comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS entered the LASCO C3 field of view, beginning a series of rare observations accessible to more than just astronomers with specialized equipment.
We can all track it now using LASCO C3 data available on the SOHO website.
For even more convenience, there is a real-time LASCO movie viewer available on our Space Weather Monitor. Just look for a very bright object entering from the right side of the screen — that’s the comet!
The comet is expected to emerge from the Sun’s glare next week and hopefully provide great views for people in the Northern Hemisphere.
This is how some astrophotographers experienced ATLAS over the past couple of days: