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Michael A. Stecker
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James Foster's photos of
Comet C/2023 A3 Tsuchinshan-ATLAS -- October 13,
2024 PST
 Here is my friend James Foster's photo of Comet C/2023 A3 Tsuchinshan-ATLAS taken on the evening of October 13, 2024 from Frazier Park California. He used a Sky-Watcher Quattro 250P (10-inch f/4 Newtonian) telescope with a ZWO ASI6200MC-Pro color astro-camera. The exposure was 15 sec X 18 (4.5 minutes) while guiding on the comet's head. file: C2023A3-JRF10inNewt15secX180-10132024-1sm.jpg The comet is thought to be traveling at 180,000 miles per hour with a tail length of 600,000 miles when close to earth in October, 2024. Click here for full resolution photo Photographed from Frazier Park, California |
 The photo above was cropped and the anti-tail Photoshop enhanced file: C2023A3-JRF10inNewt15secX180-10132024-crantitailsmLx1sm.jpg Click here for full resolution photo Photographed from Frazier Park, California . An anti-tail is an apparent spike projecting from a comet's coma which seems to go towards the Sun, and thus geometrically opposite to the other tails: the ion tail and the dust tail. However, this phenomenon is an optical illusion that is seen from the Earth. The antitail consists of larger dust particles, which are less affected by the Sun's radiation pressure and tend to remain roughly in the comet's orbital plane and eventually form a disc along the comet's orbit due to the ejection speed of the particles from the comet's surface. |
 Similar to photo above, but with no "anti-tail" label file: C2023A3-JRF10inNewt15secX180-10132024-crantitailsmNolabelx.jpg Click here for full resolution photo |
 James Foster's photo of Comet C/2023 A3 Tsuchinshan-ATLAS on October 13, 2024 after sunset low in the west. This is a single exposure using a Canon 200 mm lens at f/4 on a Canon 90D DSLR for 12-seconds. The atmosphere (especially near the ground) results in a reddening of the comet. file: C2023A3-JRF-IMG_7991_200mmsingleframe-2ax2GXdnd3sm.jpg Click here for full resolution photo Photographed from Pinion Pines Estates, California |
James Foster's photo of
Comet C/2023 A3 Tsuchinshan-ATLAS -- October 15,
2024 PST  Here is my friend James Foster's photo of comet C/2023 A3 Tsuchinshan–ATLAS on October 15, 2024 PST (16 Oct 2024 UT) shot from Southern California. He used my Askar 103 APO triplet refractor focally reduced to f/4 (FL= 412 mm), exposing for 20 sec X 29 (9.6 min) with a ZWO ASI 6200MC-Pro color astro-camera. The yellow & light blue colors of the comet's head and tail are seen, as well as a prominent anti-tail seen forward toward the sun. file: C2023A3JRF-Askarf4-10152024-1a2sm.jpg Click here for full resolution photo Photographed from Pinion Pines Estates, California |
| James Foster's photo of Comet C/2023 A3 Tsuchinshan-ATLAS -- October 19, 2024 PST |
 Here is my friend James Foster's photo of Comet C/2023 A3 Tsuchinshan-ATLAS taken on the evening of October 19, 2024 PST (20 Oct 2024 UT) from Frazier Park California. He used an Askar 103 APO refractor reduced to f/4 with a ZWO ASI6200MC-Pro color astro-camera. The exposure was 20 sec X 37 (12 minutes) while guiding on the comet's head. file: C2023A3JRFfullres-Askarf410192024-a3smflip.jpg The comet is thought to be traveling at 180,000 miles per hour with a tail length of 600,000 miles when close to earth in October, 2024. Click here for full resolution photo Photographed from Frazier Park, California |
| James Foster's photo of Comet C/2023 A3 in monochrome tricolor -- October 21, 2024 PST |
 James Foster's photo of Comet C/2023 A3 Tsuchinshan-ATLAS taken on the evening of October 21, 2024 PST (22 Oct 2024 UT) from Frazier Park California. He used a Sky-Watcher Quattro 250P (10-inch f/4 Newtonian) telescope with a ZWO ASI6200MM-Pro monochrome astro-camera. this was re-processed it to make the stars fixed and the comet a little darker with more internal detail. The exposures were: Red 330 seconds, Green 330 seconds, Blue 390 seconds while guiding on the comet's head. file: Comet T-At_RGB4AwithSTARS2-rstars10222024-aaflip.jpg Click here for full resolution photo Photographed from Frazier Park, California |
 Same as photo above on the evening of October 21, 2024 PST (22 Oct 2024 UT) from Frazier Park California. However, the artifacts below the comet were artificially removed. file: Comet T-At_RGB4AwithSTARS2-rstars10222024-aa5xflip.jpg Click here for full resolution photo |
James Foster's photo of
Comet C/2023 A3 iwith Planewave CDK17-- October
24,
2024 PST James Foster's photo of Comet C/2023 A3 Tsuchinshan-ATLAS taken on the evening of October 24, 2024 PST (25 Oct 2024 UT) from Frazier Park California. He used his Planewave CDK17 (17-inch reflector telescope) with a ZWO ASI6200MC-Pro colorastro-camera. The total exposure time was 59-minutes. file: C2023A3JRF10242024CDK1759minFB-1b.jpg Click here for higher resolution photo Photographed from Pinion Pines Estates (razier Park, California) |
