Comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS over Mt. Whitney, California

Comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS over Mt. Whitney
Eastern Sierra Nevada, California   –   October 15, 2024
— Ralph Paonessa
Canon EOS R5   *   RF28-70mm F2 L USM   *   ISO 3200   *   3.20 sec @ f/5.6

Comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS) over Mt. Whitney and the Alabama Hills.

A very faint anti-tail is perceptible pointing in the opposite direction of the main dust tail. The anti-tail 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.

At the moments when Earth passes through this plane, these larger particles are aligned and become visible.

Light on the landscape is from the almost-full Moon (97.5% illuminated), which interferes with comet visibility.

Photo ID: 20241015-23-Enhanced-NR