We went out last night to check out Comet Tsuchinshan–ATLAS from our driveway. Once you knew where to look, you could just barely make it out.
However, your phone’s night mode camera brings in enough light that it really pops out. (Sidenote: it’s insane you can pull this image out of a phone)
The kids thought it was pretty neat, too!
Our youngest had a very hard time processing the fact that we’ll never see this particular comet again (according to this JPL page, it has no defined orbital period — meaning that it is on its way out of the solar system).
I believe this is the third comet I’ve seen:
- 1997 Comet Hale-Bopp
- 2020 Comet NEOWISE (see previously)
- 2024 Comet Tsuchinshan–ATLAS