Stargazers in Northern California have a rare chance to see Comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS, which astronomers say won’t return for another 80,000 years. The comet has recently become visible to residents, even without telescopes or binoculars, after sunset near the planet Venus.
Expert Raj Dixit from the Sacramento Valley Astronomical Society suggests looking southwest after the sun dips below the horizon, but advises to catch the view quickly. "It is getting higher every day this week and will get higher in the sky every day through the end of October," Dixit explained to CBS News Sacramento. He cautioned sky watchers, "The problem is it’s getting fainter and fainter as it moves away."
For dedicated photographers aiming to immortalize the moment, early success was had by locals like Ken Hunt in West Sacramento. Hunt managed to capture the comet clearly with a camera fitted with a 70-200mm lens, setting a benchmark for fellow comet chasers. His settings on a Nikon 500 DSLR, as reported by ABC10, were ISO 1600/f4.5/1.6 secs/70mm, demonstrating an effective way to photograph the comet's fleeting journey.
The comet's name, Tsuchinshan-ATLAS, is a nod to its discovery by both China's Tsuchinshan Observatory and the ATLAS telescope in South Africa last year. As Comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS travels away from Earth, its visibility will inevitably diminish, making the next few days critical for those wishing to experience its passage. Clear skies early in the week will provide ideal viewing conditions, although Wednesday may bring clouds, according to forecasts referenced by ABC10, with clearer weather expected to return thereafter.
Those who have managed to snap photos of this cosmic event are encouraged to share their images with ABC10, either by email or via their app, adding to a collection of memories that will have to last until the comet's distant encore thousands of years from now.
