Comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS, also known as Comet A3, over Cedar Breaks National Monument in Utah, USA. This comet, originating from the Oort cloud, was discovered by the Purple Mountain Observatory in China and ATLAS South Africa in early 2023. The comet made its closest approach to the Sun at a distance of AU (58 million kilometres) on 27 September 2024, becoming visible to the naked eye. The comet's head measures about 209,000 kilometres in diameter, with a tail stretching out for 29 million kilometres. It is not expected to return for another 80,000 years. Photographed on 24 October 2024.

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Photo credit: © WALTER PACHOLKA, ASTROPICS/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

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