Comet C/2023 A3 Tsuchinshan-ATLAS: new images – 29 Oct. 2024

We continue tracking comet C/2023 A3 Tsuchinshan-ATLAS while it is clearly fading. We used all the four telescopes available at our facility, to better exploit this opportunity.

C/2023 A3 Tsichinshan-ATLAS: 29 Oct. 2024.

C/2023 A3 Tsichinshan-ATLAS: 29 Oct. 2024.

The image above comes from the average combination of 10, 120-second exposures, remotely taken with the Samyang 135+Paramount ME+ZWO ASI 6200MC Pro robotic unit available as part of the Virtual Telescope Project facility in Manciano, Italy, under the darkest skies of the Italian peninsula. The telescope tracked at the motion rates of the comet. Sky conditions were good and it is obvious how the comet faded in 7 days. At least 10 degrees of tail, as well as a faint fan from the past, evolved antitail are visibile.

We also captured images with our ARTEC250+Paramount ME+C3Pro61000EC robotic astrograph, the better investigate the inner regions. The image below comes from the sigma clipping combination of 6, 120-second exposures: we see how detailed is the ion tail is, with the fan structure on the E side of the nucleus, evolved from the antitail we spotted on 15 October.

C/2023 A3 Tsichinshan-ATLAS, brightest region: 29 Oct. 2024.

C/2023 A3 Tsichinshan-ATLAS, brightest region: 29 Oct. 2024.

Our Celestron C14+Paramount ME+SBIG ST8-XME robotic unit spied the region closest to the central condensation, revealing the very delicate structures we see now very close to the pseudo nucleus. Images were very gently processed to preserve those subtle details.

C/2023 A3 Tsichinshan-ATLAS, very inner coma: 29 Oct. 2024.

C/2023 A3 Tsichinshan-ATLAS, very inner coma: 29 Oct. 2024.

Finally, our largest telescope, the “Elena” (PlaneWave 17″ + Paramount MEII + SBIG STL-6303E) robotic unit, concentrated on the brightest region, capturing the ion tail structures leaving the central region.

C/2023 A3 Tsichinshan-ATLAS, inner ion tail: 29 Oct. 2024.

C/2023 A3 Tsichinshan-ATLAS, inner ion tail: 29 Oct. 2024.

We will continue monitoring this comet, despite the weather is not cooperating at all.

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