Comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS in Twilight

Comet C/2023 A3 Tsuchinshan-ATLAS was the brightest comet visible in the northern hemisphere since 1997. The comet reached perihelion (closest approach to the sun) on September 27, 2024. By mid-October, the comet emerged from the glare of the sun, bright enough to be visible to the unaided eyes after sunset, and spotting a long dust tail.

This image was taken on October 17, 2024 in Perth County, southern Ontario, 70 minutes after sunset. 34 exposures were stacked for noise reduction in creating the final image. The dust tail measured approximately 20 degrees in this image. An “anti-tail”, formed by comet dust left along the orbit of the comet, could also be seen pointing in the opposite direction.