Spend Christmas with Comet A3 thanks to the Virtual Telescope Project. Watch live as the comet departs our neighborhood. Image via Virtual Telescope Project.
Comet A3 Tsuchinshan-ATLAS made a great evening appearance for us in October, becoming visible with the eye alone. The comet is now headed away from Earth, but the Virtual Telescope Project is letting you get a goodbye glimpse this Christmas. Join in at 17:00 UTC (11:00 a.m. CST) on December 23, 2024, at the Virtual Telescope site to watch a live view of the departing comet.
And you can see the comet in the pics below. People around the globe captured fantastic images of Comet A3 just after sunset. Check out some of the great images from our EarthSky community here. And see even more pics in this video.
Comet A3 in the evening sky
View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Dean Balosie from Flamingo, Florida, shared this image of Comet A3 he captured on October 21, 2024. He wrote: “First clear night in months, I was in luck with about a 2 hour window before the clouds rolled back in. Very grateful I got to witness this comet before it leaves us. I think it looked spectacular parting the black sky!” Thank you, Dean.View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Abhijit Patil from San Mateo, California, captured the comet, the Milky Way and Venus on October 19, 2024, and wrote: “As an astrophotographer, this is the first time I am capturing a comet with the Milky Way. I am sure this is the case with many night owls like me. I would like to term this as a rare occurrence and a very beautiful one. Earlier I have shot Jupiter along the MW but photographing Venus and the Comet was truly a surreal experience.” Thank you!View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Petr Horálek from Spišská Belá, Slovakia, captured this image of Comet A3 on October 16, 2024. Pietr wrote: “Today the moon appears in the sky as the brightest full moon of the year since it is a perigee moon. However, Comet C/2023 A3 Tsuchinshan-ATLAS made another record as it was visible despite the bright moon. In the highest visible summit in the image, right from the comet’s head, you can spot a small shining pearl, the Lomnicky Stit Observatory, where Czechoslovakian astronomers in 50s of last century discovered several other comets (including 45P/Honda-Mrkos-Pajdusakova).” Thank you, Petr!
More great shots
View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Makrem Larnaout in Tunis captured Comet A3 and the globular star cluster M5 on October 16, 2024. Makrem wrote: “Comet C/2023 Tsuchinshan-Atlas appears to ‘kiss’ the globular cluster M5, also known as ‘The Rose,’ glowing in the same field. It was a challenging but rewarding experience!” Thank you, Makrem!Yarelis Medina of the Astronomical Society of the Caribbean captured this photo of thunderstorms sharing a sky with Comet A3 on October 15, 2024, from Utuado, Puerto Rico. Thank you, Yarelis! Used with permission.
More of our evening visitor
View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Tina Clothier in Hawaii caught Comet A3 and its anti-tail on October 13, 2024. Tina wrote: “On Mauna Kea with clear sky and brisk wind.” Thank you, Tina!View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Muhammad Alaa in Sanabo, Egypt, captured the comet on October 13, 2024. Muhammad wrote: “This photo came by chance. I was going up to the roof of my house with a cup of tea as usual every day, and when I looked toward the west, I noticed the presence of the comet. I could not believe it.” Thank you, Muhammad!View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Virginia Adams in Newberry, Florida, captured the comet on October 13, 2024. Virginia wrote: “Parked on the side of the road and was thrilled when I finally saw it!” Thank you, Virginia!View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Hadley Johnson in Santa Barbara, California, caught the comet on October 12, 2024. Hadley wrote: “It was a beautiful night on the California central coast … Perched on the Santa Ynez Mountains above Santa Barbara gave me a great view of the comet.” Thank you, Hadley!
The comet after sunset
View at EarthSky Community Photos. | John Ashley in Green Valley, Arizona, caught Comet A3 on October 12, 2024. John wrote: “The comet put in a brief appearance Saturday evening.” Thank you, John!View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Deborah Laferty in Tucson, Arizona, caught Comet A3 on October 13, 2024, from Saguaro National Park. Thank you, Deborah!View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Fotis Mavroudakis captured the comet on October 14, 2024. Fotis wrote: “This is Comet C/2023 A3 Tsuchinshan-ATLAS after sunset over mountain Paggaion, Greece. Below the celestial event, the city of Kavala sparkles with lights at the edge of a calm sea.” Thank you, Fotis!View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Betsy Burke caught the comet along with Venus (near the cactus) on October 14, 2024. from Kofa National Wildlife Refuge in Arizona. Thank you, Betsy!View at EarthSky Community Photos. | John Humphrey in Lake Tahoe, Nevada, captured the comet on October 14, 2024. Thank you, John!
View larger and annotated. Yarelis Medina caught the anti-tail of Comet A3 on October 13, 2024, from Utuado, Puerto Rico. Thank you, Yarelis!View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Michael Flynn in Pine Mountain Club, California, captured the comet and its anti-tail on October 13, 2024. Thanks, Michael!View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Steven Bellavia in Southold, New York, captured Comet A3 and its anti-tail on October 14, 2024. Thank you, Steven!View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Eliot Herman in Tucson, Arizona, caught the comet and its anti-tail on October 14, 2024. Eliot wrote: “The anti-tail is amazing, being narrow, almost like a laser beam.” Thank you, Eliot!View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Abhijit Patil in Saratoga, California, captured Comet A3 and its anti-tail on October 13, 2024. Abhijit wrote: “We were accompanied by another photographer, his kids and some other young guys. It was fun to see them exclaim in amazement when we showed the comet to them and they could see it with the unaided eye and the binocs. It was a very satisfying moment as an astrophotographer for me.” Thank you, Abhijit!
View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Anthony Haber in Stanwell Tops, Australia, caught Comet A3 on October 1, 2024. Anthony wrote: “This was my first attempt to capture a photo of a comet. I left home at 3 a.m. and headed to the coast so that I had a clear view of the horizon to the east. I was happy to see the comet with my unaided eye , this being only my second comet I have ever seen … the first one being Halley’s Comet back in 1986.” Thank you, Anthony!View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Christopher Hartley captured Comet A3 on October 1, 2024. Christopher wrote: “Photo taken at the old cattle sale yards and railway loading ramps (disused for more than 50 years) north of Cunnamulla in Outback Queensland, Australia.” Thank you, Christopher!View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Marsha Kirschbaum in Castro Valley, California, captured Comet A3 on September 30, 2024. Marsha wrote: “I set my alarm for 4:00 a.m. and drove to a nearby park. I was so excited to capture this icy visitor. I was also amazed at how fast the comet moved at this focal length. Will now wait for mid-October when the comet will appear in the evening skies.” Thank you, Marsha!View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Tina Clothier in Mauna Kea, Hawaii, caught Comet A3 Tsuchinshan-ATLAS on September 27, 2024. Thank you, Tina!
Comet A3 in the morning sky
View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Eliot Herman on Easter Island caught the comet on October 2, 2024. Eliot wrote: “An amazing place to see the comet in pre-dawn. I found myself imaging the natives of this island doing the same thing maybe 1,000 years ago and wondering what they might have thought of a bright comet rising over their Moai.” Thank you, Eliot!View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Raúl Almeida in Cerro del Cubilete, Guanajuato, México, captured Comet A3 on October 1, 2024. Thank you, Raúl!View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Jean Cursino in Caçapava, Brazil, captured Comet A3 on October 1, 2024. Thank you, Jean!View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Muhammad Aslam caught this image of Comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS in Pakistan on October 1, 2024. Muhammad wrote: “I was lucky enough to catch stunning Comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinsan-ATLAS) over the Indus River. It was a once a lifetime experience that left me in awe.” Thank you, Muhammad!
Gorgeous pics of Comet A3 and the moon
View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Kenny Cagle at Lake Ouachita, Arkansas, captured the comet on October 1, 2024. Kenny wrote: “While I could see the moon okay, there was no sight of the comet, and I forgot my binoculars. I was hoping my camera would catch it with a long exposure, and it did.” Thank you, Kenny!View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Paul Schulz caught the waning crescent moon and rising comet from Safford, Arizona, on September 30, 2024. Paul wrote: “Went up a mountain road, high enough to see horizon unobstructed. I waited until the comet had risen above the horizon with the waning moon still visible. This was a dream shot.” Thank you, Paul!View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Jose Palma in Setubal, Portugal, captured the moon and Comet A3 on September 30, 2024. Thank you, Jose!View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Rod Chang in Arona, Tenerife, Spain, captured Comet A3 on September 30, 2024, along with the moon. Thank you, Rod!
Tsuchinshan-ATLAS from around the world
View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Juan Sala in Valencia, Spain, caught Comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS) over the Mediterranean Sea during sunset on September 29, 2024. Thank you, Juan!View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Osama Fathi captured this image of the comet over Mount Sinai in Egypt on September 28, 2024. Thank you, Osama!View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Elke Schulz at Obstech El Sauce Observatory, Río Hurtado, Chile, caught Comet A3 on September 28, 2024. Elke wrote: “At this location, the comet was easily visible with the unaided eye. Fun fact: Even before the bright comet head appeared above the ridge, the tail by itself was nicely visible.” Thank you, Elke!View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Susan Colosimo caught the comet rising above the Angeles National Forest in California on September 27, 2024. Thank you, Susan!View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Grant Cowley in Port Lincoln, South Australia, caught the comet on September 27, 2024. Thank you, Grant!
Stunning views of Comet A3 Tsuchinshan-ATLAS
View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Muhammad Alaa captured the comet from his village in Upper Egypt on September 30, 2024. Muhammad wrote: “Part of the village appears in the picture, as well as some mountains and houses, and the minaret of the nearby mosque. From my house, I am very happy with this photo.” Thank you, Muhammad!View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Abhijit Patil at Lick Observatory in California captured the comet on September 28, 2024. Abhijit wrote: “After looking at all the photos about the new comet from the Southern Hemisphere and a lot of missing out, finally the comet started making its appearance in the Northern Hemisphere.” Thank you, Abhijit!View at EarthSky Community Photos. | John Ashley caught the “comet on a mission” on September 29, 2024. He wrote: “Comet A3 ATLAS cleared the horizon and rose into the dawn sky beyond the tower at the historic Mission San Jose de Tumacacori, in southern Arizona.” Thank you, John!View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Muhummad Aslam in Sindh, Pakistan, caught the comet on September 28, 2024. Thank you, Muhammad!View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Bill Phelps caught Comet A3 over Isla Carmen in the Sea of Cortez, Mexico, on September 27, 2024. Thank you, Bill!
Comet A3 photo gallery continued
View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Tameem Altameemi in United Arab Emirates captured Comet A3 on September 27, 2024. Tameem wrote: “It’s currently in the constellation of Sextans, at a distance of more than 139 million kilometers from Earth.” Thank you, Tameem!View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Roosevelt Silva in Formosa, Brazil, captured this view of the comet on September 25, 2024. Thank you, Roosevelt!View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Saeed Ahmed Abbasi in Kandiaro, Sindh, Pakistan, captured our “celestial visitor” on September 24, 2024. Thank you, Saeed!View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Stephen James O’Meara in Maun, Botswana, captured Comet A3 on September 24, 2024. James wrote: “This view is representative of how the comet appears through 8×42 binoculars.” Thank you, James!View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Lucy Yunxi Hu in Lake George, Australia, captured this time slice of Comet A3 rising at dawn on September 21, 2024. Lucy said: “The image was shot during the blue hour (between 4:28 and 4:53 am local time).” Thank you, Lucy!
More gorgeous pics of Comet A3
Victor Rivera in Puerto Rico captured Comet A3 on September 22, 2024. Thank you, Victor! Used with permission.Comet A3 (Tsuchinshan–ATLAS) on September 18, 2024, from Queensland, Australia. Terry Lovejoy took this image and estimated the magnitude at 4.0. He said the comet was visible dimly in 10×42 binoculars as a fuzzy star with a hint of tail. Used with permission.Terry Lovejoy captured Comet A3 from Queensland, Australia, on September 16, 2024. Thank you, Terry! Used with permission.Michael Mattiazzo captured this image of Comet A3 on September 15, 2024, from Victoria, Australia. Thank you, Michael! Used with permission.
Bottom line: Spend Christmas with Comet A3 in this live feed from the Virtual Telescope Project! Plus see many more fantastic images here.
Spend Christmas with Comet A3 thanks to the Virtual Telescope Project. Watch live as the comet departs our neighborhood. Image via Virtual Telescope Project.
Comet A3 Tsuchinshan-ATLAS made a great evening appearance for us in October, becoming visible with the eye alone. The comet is now headed away from Earth, but the Virtual Telescope Project is letting you get a goodbye glimpse this Christmas. Join in at 17:00 UTC (11:00 a.m. CST) on December 23, 2024, at the Virtual Telescope site to watch a live view of the departing comet.
And you can see the comet in the pics below. People around the globe captured fantastic images of Comet A3 just after sunset. Check out some of the great images from our EarthSky community here. And see even more pics in this video.
Comet A3 in the evening sky
View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Dean Balosie from Flamingo, Florida, shared this image of Comet A3 he captured on October 21, 2024. He wrote: “First clear night in months, I was in luck with about a 2 hour window before the clouds rolled back in. Very grateful I got to witness this comet before it leaves us. I think it looked spectacular parting the black sky!” Thank you, Dean.View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Abhijit Patil from San Mateo, California, captured the comet, the Milky Way and Venus on October 19, 2024, and wrote: “As an astrophotographer, this is the first time I am capturing a comet with the Milky Way. I am sure this is the case with many night owls like me. I would like to term this as a rare occurrence and a very beautiful one. Earlier I have shot Jupiter along the MW but photographing Venus and the Comet was truly a surreal experience.” Thank you!View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Petr Horálek from Spišská Belá, Slovakia, captured this image of Comet A3 on October 16, 2024. Pietr wrote: “Today the moon appears in the sky as the brightest full moon of the year since it is a perigee moon. However, Comet C/2023 A3 Tsuchinshan-ATLAS made another record as it was visible despite the bright moon. In the highest visible summit in the image, right from the comet’s head, you can spot a small shining pearl, the Lomnicky Stit Observatory, where Czechoslovakian astronomers in 50s of last century discovered several other comets (including 45P/Honda-Mrkos-Pajdusakova).” Thank you, Petr!
More great shots
View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Makrem Larnaout in Tunis captured Comet A3 and the globular star cluster M5 on October 16, 2024. Makrem wrote: “Comet C/2023 Tsuchinshan-Atlas appears to ‘kiss’ the globular cluster M5, also known as ‘The Rose,’ glowing in the same field. It was a challenging but rewarding experience!” Thank you, Makrem!Yarelis Medina of the Astronomical Society of the Caribbean captured this photo of thunderstorms sharing a sky with Comet A3 on October 15, 2024, from Utuado, Puerto Rico. Thank you, Yarelis! Used with permission.
More of our evening visitor
View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Tina Clothier in Hawaii caught Comet A3 and its anti-tail on October 13, 2024. Tina wrote: “On Mauna Kea with clear sky and brisk wind.” Thank you, Tina!View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Muhammad Alaa in Sanabo, Egypt, captured the comet on October 13, 2024. Muhammad wrote: “This photo came by chance. I was going up to the roof of my house with a cup of tea as usual every day, and when I looked toward the west, I noticed the presence of the comet. I could not believe it.” Thank you, Muhammad!View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Virginia Adams in Newberry, Florida, captured the comet on October 13, 2024. Virginia wrote: “Parked on the side of the road and was thrilled when I finally saw it!” Thank you, Virginia!View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Hadley Johnson in Santa Barbara, California, caught the comet on October 12, 2024. Hadley wrote: “It was a beautiful night on the California central coast … Perched on the Santa Ynez Mountains above Santa Barbara gave me a great view of the comet.” Thank you, Hadley!
The comet after sunset
View at EarthSky Community Photos. | John Ashley in Green Valley, Arizona, caught Comet A3 on October 12, 2024. John wrote: “The comet put in a brief appearance Saturday evening.” Thank you, John!View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Deborah Laferty in Tucson, Arizona, caught Comet A3 on October 13, 2024, from Saguaro National Park. Thank you, Deborah!View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Fotis Mavroudakis captured the comet on October 14, 2024. Fotis wrote: “This is Comet C/2023 A3 Tsuchinshan-ATLAS after sunset over mountain Paggaion, Greece. Below the celestial event, the city of Kavala sparkles with lights at the edge of a calm sea.” Thank you, Fotis!View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Betsy Burke caught the comet along with Venus (near the cactus) on October 14, 2024. from Kofa National Wildlife Refuge in Arizona. Thank you, Betsy!View at EarthSky Community Photos. | John Humphrey in Lake Tahoe, Nevada, captured the comet on October 14, 2024. Thank you, John!
View larger and annotated. Yarelis Medina caught the anti-tail of Comet A3 on October 13, 2024, from Utuado, Puerto Rico. Thank you, Yarelis!View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Michael Flynn in Pine Mountain Club, California, captured the comet and its anti-tail on October 13, 2024. Thanks, Michael!View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Steven Bellavia in Southold, New York, captured Comet A3 and its anti-tail on October 14, 2024. Thank you, Steven!View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Eliot Herman in Tucson, Arizona, caught the comet and its anti-tail on October 14, 2024. Eliot wrote: “The anti-tail is amazing, being narrow, almost like a laser beam.” Thank you, Eliot!View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Abhijit Patil in Saratoga, California, captured Comet A3 and its anti-tail on October 13, 2024. Abhijit wrote: “We were accompanied by another photographer, his kids and some other young guys. It was fun to see them exclaim in amazement when we showed the comet to them and they could see it with the unaided eye and the binocs. It was a very satisfying moment as an astrophotographer for me.” Thank you, Abhijit!
View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Anthony Haber in Stanwell Tops, Australia, caught Comet A3 on October 1, 2024. Anthony wrote: “This was my first attempt to capture a photo of a comet. I left home at 3 a.m. and headed to the coast so that I had a clear view of the horizon to the east. I was happy to see the comet with my unaided eye , this being only my second comet I have ever seen … the first one being Halley’s Comet back in 1986.” Thank you, Anthony!View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Christopher Hartley captured Comet A3 on October 1, 2024. Christopher wrote: “Photo taken at the old cattle sale yards and railway loading ramps (disused for more than 50 years) north of Cunnamulla in Outback Queensland, Australia.” Thank you, Christopher!View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Marsha Kirschbaum in Castro Valley, California, captured Comet A3 on September 30, 2024. Marsha wrote: “I set my alarm for 4:00 a.m. and drove to a nearby park. I was so excited to capture this icy visitor. I was also amazed at how fast the comet moved at this focal length. Will now wait for mid-October when the comet will appear in the evening skies.” Thank you, Marsha!View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Tina Clothier in Mauna Kea, Hawaii, caught Comet A3 Tsuchinshan-ATLAS on September 27, 2024. Thank you, Tina!
Comet A3 in the morning sky
View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Eliot Herman on Easter Island caught the comet on October 2, 2024. Eliot wrote: “An amazing place to see the comet in pre-dawn. I found myself imaging the natives of this island doing the same thing maybe 1,000 years ago and wondering what they might have thought of a bright comet rising over their Moai.” Thank you, Eliot!View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Raúl Almeida in Cerro del Cubilete, Guanajuato, México, captured Comet A3 on October 1, 2024. Thank you, Raúl!View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Jean Cursino in Caçapava, Brazil, captured Comet A3 on October 1, 2024. Thank you, Jean!View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Muhammad Aslam caught this image of Comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS in Pakistan on October 1, 2024. Muhammad wrote: “I was lucky enough to catch stunning Comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinsan-ATLAS) over the Indus River. It was a once a lifetime experience that left me in awe.” Thank you, Muhammad!
Gorgeous pics of Comet A3 and the moon
View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Kenny Cagle at Lake Ouachita, Arkansas, captured the comet on October 1, 2024. Kenny wrote: “While I could see the moon okay, there was no sight of the comet, and I forgot my binoculars. I was hoping my camera would catch it with a long exposure, and it did.” Thank you, Kenny!View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Paul Schulz caught the waning crescent moon and rising comet from Safford, Arizona, on September 30, 2024. Paul wrote: “Went up a mountain road, high enough to see horizon unobstructed. I waited until the comet had risen above the horizon with the waning moon still visible. This was a dream shot.” Thank you, Paul!View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Jose Palma in Setubal, Portugal, captured the moon and Comet A3 on September 30, 2024. Thank you, Jose!View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Rod Chang in Arona, Tenerife, Spain, captured Comet A3 on September 30, 2024, along with the moon. Thank you, Rod!
Tsuchinshan-ATLAS from around the world
View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Juan Sala in Valencia, Spain, caught Comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS) over the Mediterranean Sea during sunset on September 29, 2024. Thank you, Juan!View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Osama Fathi captured this image of the comet over Mount Sinai in Egypt on September 28, 2024. Thank you, Osama!View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Elke Schulz at Obstech El Sauce Observatory, Río Hurtado, Chile, caught Comet A3 on September 28, 2024. Elke wrote: “At this location, the comet was easily visible with the unaided eye. Fun fact: Even before the bright comet head appeared above the ridge, the tail by itself was nicely visible.” Thank you, Elke!View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Susan Colosimo caught the comet rising above the Angeles National Forest in California on September 27, 2024. Thank you, Susan!View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Grant Cowley in Port Lincoln, South Australia, caught the comet on September 27, 2024. Thank you, Grant!
Stunning views of Comet A3 Tsuchinshan-ATLAS
View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Muhammad Alaa captured the comet from his village in Upper Egypt on September 30, 2024. Muhammad wrote: “Part of the village appears in the picture, as well as some mountains and houses, and the minaret of the nearby mosque. From my house, I am very happy with this photo.” Thank you, Muhammad!View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Abhijit Patil at Lick Observatory in California captured the comet on September 28, 2024. Abhijit wrote: “After looking at all the photos about the new comet from the Southern Hemisphere and a lot of missing out, finally the comet started making its appearance in the Northern Hemisphere.” Thank you, Abhijit!View at EarthSky Community Photos. | John Ashley caught the “comet on a mission” on September 29, 2024. He wrote: “Comet A3 ATLAS cleared the horizon and rose into the dawn sky beyond the tower at the historic Mission San Jose de Tumacacori, in southern Arizona.” Thank you, John!View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Muhummad Aslam in Sindh, Pakistan, caught the comet on September 28, 2024. Thank you, Muhammad!View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Bill Phelps caught Comet A3 over Isla Carmen in the Sea of Cortez, Mexico, on September 27, 2024. Thank you, Bill!
Comet A3 photo gallery continued
View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Tameem Altameemi in United Arab Emirates captured Comet A3 on September 27, 2024. Tameem wrote: “It’s currently in the constellation of Sextans, at a distance of more than 139 million kilometers from Earth.” Thank you, Tameem!View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Roosevelt Silva in Formosa, Brazil, captured this view of the comet on September 25, 2024. Thank you, Roosevelt!View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Saeed Ahmed Abbasi in Kandiaro, Sindh, Pakistan, captured our “celestial visitor” on September 24, 2024. Thank you, Saeed!View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Stephen James O’Meara in Maun, Botswana, captured Comet A3 on September 24, 2024. James wrote: “This view is representative of how the comet appears through 8×42 binoculars.” Thank you, James!View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Lucy Yunxi Hu in Lake George, Australia, captured this time slice of Comet A3 rising at dawn on September 21, 2024. Lucy said: “The image was shot during the blue hour (between 4:28 and 4:53 am local time).” Thank you, Lucy!
More gorgeous pics of Comet A3
Victor Rivera in Puerto Rico captured Comet A3 on September 22, 2024. Thank you, Victor! Used with permission.Comet A3 (Tsuchinshan–ATLAS) on September 18, 2024, from Queensland, Australia. Terry Lovejoy took this image and estimated the magnitude at 4.0. He said the comet was visible dimly in 10×42 binoculars as a fuzzy star with a hint of tail. Used with permission.Terry Lovejoy captured Comet A3 from Queensland, Australia, on September 16, 2024. Thank you, Terry! Used with permission.Michael Mattiazzo captured this image of Comet A3 on September 15, 2024, from Victoria, Australia. Thank you, Michael! Used with permission.
Bottom line: Spend Christmas with Comet A3 in this live feed from the Virtual Telescope Project! Plus see many more fantastic images here.
We’d be remiss to have the holiday season pass by without showcasing the lovely Christmas Tree Cluster. The area of sky in this photo goes by a number of names, including the Christmas Tree Cluster, the Cone Nebula and NGC 2264. The image above shows a region of space about 30 light-years across. Astronomers at ESO’s La Silla Observatory, in the Atacama Desert of Chile, captured this image. It includes the cone-shaped gas cloud at bottom, a profusion of red gas, plus bright, sparkling, bluish-white baubles … that is, stars.
The Christmas Tree Cluster lies in the direction of the constellation Monoceros the Unicorn. Monoceros rises in December not long after Orion the Hunter. The Christmas Tree Cluster is about halfway between two bright stars you might know: reddish Betelgeuse in the shoulder of Orion and Procyon in Canis Minor.
You can view the Christmas Tree Cluster tonight! At magnitude 3.9, it’s visible without optical aid, but binoculars will give you a better look. Can you make out the Christmas tree shape with binoculars? Let us know in the comments below.
In this star chart of Monoceros, the star that the Christmas Tree Cluster surrounds is the highest in the constellation connected by the lines. As a bonus, you can look for the Rosette Nebula, just below. Image via IAU/ Wikimedia Commons.Martin Curran imaged the Christmas Tree Cluster in Wyoming on December 20, 2024. Thank you, Martin! Used with permission.
Just in time for the holidays, the Christmas Tree Cluster. Its stars trace out a tree shape, the bright blue star is the trunk. Above it is the Cone Nebula. To its lower left is the Fox Fur Nebula. Had to toss 1/2 the last 2 night's 120, 5 min LRGB exposures bc of bad conditions. pic.twitter.com/HTEYCpxgpd
Bottom line: The Christmas Tree Cluster is a collection of sparking bluish-white stars. It is above a cone-shaped cloud of gas in the direction of the constellation Monoceros the Unicorn.
We’d be remiss to have the holiday season pass by without showcasing the lovely Christmas Tree Cluster. The area of sky in this photo goes by a number of names, including the Christmas Tree Cluster, the Cone Nebula and NGC 2264. The image above shows a region of space about 30 light-years across. Astronomers at ESO’s La Silla Observatory, in the Atacama Desert of Chile, captured this image. It includes the cone-shaped gas cloud at bottom, a profusion of red gas, plus bright, sparkling, bluish-white baubles … that is, stars.
The Christmas Tree Cluster lies in the direction of the constellation Monoceros the Unicorn. Monoceros rises in December not long after Orion the Hunter. The Christmas Tree Cluster is about halfway between two bright stars you might know: reddish Betelgeuse in the shoulder of Orion and Procyon in Canis Minor.
You can view the Christmas Tree Cluster tonight! At magnitude 3.9, it’s visible without optical aid, but binoculars will give you a better look. Can you make out the Christmas tree shape with binoculars? Let us know in the comments below.
In this star chart of Monoceros, the star that the Christmas Tree Cluster surrounds is the highest in the constellation connected by the lines. As a bonus, you can look for the Rosette Nebula, just below. Image via IAU/ Wikimedia Commons.Martin Curran imaged the Christmas Tree Cluster in Wyoming on December 20, 2024. Thank you, Martin! Used with permission.
Just in time for the holidays, the Christmas Tree Cluster. Its stars trace out a tree shape, the bright blue star is the trunk. Above it is the Cone Nebula. To its lower left is the Fox Fur Nebula. Had to toss 1/2 the last 2 night's 120, 5 min LRGB exposures bc of bad conditions. pic.twitter.com/HTEYCpxgpd
Bottom line: The Christmas Tree Cluster is a collection of sparking bluish-white stars. It is above a cone-shaped cloud of gas in the direction of the constellation Monoceros the Unicorn.
Orion the Hunter is arguably the most recognizable constellation in the world. Orion lies on the celestial equator, making it visible from both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. Orion’s shape is easy to pick out because of its many bright stars and signature Orion’s Belt: three stars close together in a nearly straight line.
Orion the Hunter – visible to both hemispheres – rises in the east on December evenings.
In many drawings of the constellation Orion, the Hunter looks to be battling his neighbor, Taurus the Bull. Yet there is no such story in the mythology of Orion. Some stories have Orion pursuing the seven sisters of the Pleiades, which is a star cluster in the constellation Taurus. On the other side of Orion are his hunting dogs, Canis Major and Canis Minor (not to be confused with Canes Venatici, a different constellation with the actual nickname of the Hunting Dogs).
Mythology says that a scorpion killed Orion; that’s why Orion is on one side of the sky while Scorpius the Scorpion is on the opposite side. As Scorpius is about to rise in the east, Orion makes a hurried exit from the sky in the west.
Orion the Hunter, as depicted in Urania’s Mirror, a set of constellation cards from around 1825. Image via Wikimedia Commons (public domain).
Brightest stars in Orion
The brightest star in Orion is the bluish Rigel, which marks his western knee or foot. Rigel is a blue supergiant 770 light-years away with a magnitude of 0.2. Rigel is the seventh brightest star in the entire sky. The star marking the other knee or foot of Orion is Saiph, a magnitude 2.1 star. It’s a blue supergiant, 720 light-years distant.
The second brightest star in Orion is reddish-orange Betelgeuse, which marks one shoulder. Betelgeuse is the 10th brightest star in the sky at magnitude 0.5. It’s a red supergiant 550 light-years away and a whopping 800 times larger than our sun. If we substituted Betelgeuse for our sun, it would swallow up all the inner planets.
The third brightest star of Orion, which marks his other shoulder, is Bellatrix. Bellatrix, a blue supergiant shining at magnitude 1.6, is the 22nd brightest star in the sky and lies 245 light-years away.
View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Amr Elsayed of Egypt submitted this photo on December 6, 2024, and wrote: “One of the brightest stars of winter in the Orion constellation, one of the most recognizable due to the 3 stars that form a line in the center. The image also shows the Orion Nebula, a gas and dust cloud about 1,500 light-years away, and includes the orange star Betelgeuse, which is expected to end its life soon, and will potentially be visible as bright as the moon.” Thank you, Amr!
Other stars in Orion
Extending out from Bellatrix is Orion’s arm, where he is holding either a shield or an animal, depending on the artist’s concept. The brighter stars marking this object are all of 3rd and 4th magnitude.
Extending upward from Betelgeuse is Orion’s other arm, which holds a club or sword. The brightest stars in the arm and club are all 4th magnitude.
The stars that make up Orion’s head are a test of your sky’s darkness. They range from 3rd magnitude to 6th magnitude. The more stars you can see, the better your skies are.
View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Sergei Timofeevski shared this image from November 13, 2023. Sergei wrote: “The constellation Orion the Hunter and the star Sirius rising just above the eastern horizon in the Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, California.” Thank you, Sergei! Note bright Sirius is on the bottom, and Orion’s Belt pointing to it.
Nebulae of Orion the Hunter
The stars in the Sword that hangs down from the Belt are part of the Orion Nebula (M42). Yes, you can see the nebula, or cloud of gas, without optical aid as a hazy, 4th-magnitude patch. Using magnification reveals a quadruple star at the center of the nebula. These four newborn stars – the Trapezium Cluster – light up their dusty cocoon, making its glow visible to us here on Earth, a vast 1,400 light-years away.
The famous Horsehead Nebula lies near the Belt star Alnitak. This dark nebula is a faint target even for most amateur telescopes; your best bet is to view it in a picture compliments of an astrophotographer. (Learn more about dark nebulae.)
Along Orion’s side between Alnitak and Betelgeuse (but closer to the belt stars) is the 8th-magnitude nebula M78. M78 has the awkward title of “brightest diffuse reflection nebula in the sky.” One more notable nebula in Orion is near Rigel and crosses into Eridanus the River. IC 2118, the Witch Head Nebula, is extremely faint but also extremely large, spanning six full moons.
View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Andy Dungan near Cotopaxi, Colorado, captured this telescopic view of the Orion Nebula on October 4, 2024. Andy wrote: “I recently took a pic of Orion [look here] using an Antlia RGB enhancer. This photo turned out much bluer. Both pics are fun and I think I like the bluer one better. Orion is such a wonderful object to explore.” It definitely is, thank you, Andy!
More EarthSky Community Photos of Orion
View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Catherine Hyde in Cambria, California, captured these nebulae in Orion on January 5, 2024. Catherine wrote: “This is essentially first light on my new Redcat 51 scope, the smallest scope I’ve ever had. The short focal length allowed me to frame the belt and sword of Orion in one image. Included are the Flame and Horsehead Nebulae, and the iconic Orion Nebula with the Running Man above it.” Thank you, Catherine!View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Harshwardhan Pathak of India used a large remote telescope in Australia to capture the Orion Nebula on October 5, 2023. Harshwardhan wrote: “Popularly called the Orion Nebula, this stellar nursery has been known to many different cultures throughout human history. The nebula is only 1,400 light-years away, making it the closest large star-forming region to Earth … This is the target which every astrophotographer wants to shoot in winter’s night sky.” A beautiful capture. Thank you, Harshwardhan!View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Tameem Altameemi in the Ras Al Khaimah Mountains, United Arab Emirates (UAE), captured this telescopic view of the Horsehead Nebula in the constellation Orion on November 18, 2023. Tameem wrote: “My astrophotography from the sky of UAE. The Flame Nebula, designated as NGC 2024 and Sh2-277, is an emission nebula in the constellation Orion. It is about 900 to 1,500 light-years away, and the Horsehead Nebula, a small dark nebula in the constellation Orion.” Thank you, Tameem!
Bottom line: Orion the Hunter may be the most recognizable constellation in the world. It’s visible from the north in winter and from the south in summer. And it’s full of many deep-sky treasures.
Orion the Hunter is arguably the most recognizable constellation in the world. Orion lies on the celestial equator, making it visible from both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. Orion’s shape is easy to pick out because of its many bright stars and signature Orion’s Belt: three stars close together in a nearly straight line.
Orion the Hunter – visible to both hemispheres – rises in the east on December evenings.
In many drawings of the constellation Orion, the Hunter looks to be battling his neighbor, Taurus the Bull. Yet there is no such story in the mythology of Orion. Some stories have Orion pursuing the seven sisters of the Pleiades, which is a star cluster in the constellation Taurus. On the other side of Orion are his hunting dogs, Canis Major and Canis Minor (not to be confused with Canes Venatici, a different constellation with the actual nickname of the Hunting Dogs).
Mythology says that a scorpion killed Orion; that’s why Orion is on one side of the sky while Scorpius the Scorpion is on the opposite side. As Scorpius is about to rise in the east, Orion makes a hurried exit from the sky in the west.
Orion the Hunter, as depicted in Urania’s Mirror, a set of constellation cards from around 1825. Image via Wikimedia Commons (public domain).
Brightest stars in Orion
The brightest star in Orion is the bluish Rigel, which marks his western knee or foot. Rigel is a blue supergiant 770 light-years away with a magnitude of 0.2. Rigel is the seventh brightest star in the entire sky. The star marking the other knee or foot of Orion is Saiph, a magnitude 2.1 star. It’s a blue supergiant, 720 light-years distant.
The second brightest star in Orion is reddish-orange Betelgeuse, which marks one shoulder. Betelgeuse is the 10th brightest star in the sky at magnitude 0.5. It’s a red supergiant 550 light-years away and a whopping 800 times larger than our sun. If we substituted Betelgeuse for our sun, it would swallow up all the inner planets.
The third brightest star of Orion, which marks his other shoulder, is Bellatrix. Bellatrix, a blue supergiant shining at magnitude 1.6, is the 22nd brightest star in the sky and lies 245 light-years away.
View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Amr Elsayed of Egypt submitted this photo on December 6, 2024, and wrote: “One of the brightest stars of winter in the Orion constellation, one of the most recognizable due to the 3 stars that form a line in the center. The image also shows the Orion Nebula, a gas and dust cloud about 1,500 light-years away, and includes the orange star Betelgeuse, which is expected to end its life soon, and will potentially be visible as bright as the moon.” Thank you, Amr!
Other stars in Orion
Extending out from Bellatrix is Orion’s arm, where he is holding either a shield or an animal, depending on the artist’s concept. The brighter stars marking this object are all of 3rd and 4th magnitude.
Extending upward from Betelgeuse is Orion’s other arm, which holds a club or sword. The brightest stars in the arm and club are all 4th magnitude.
The stars that make up Orion’s head are a test of your sky’s darkness. They range from 3rd magnitude to 6th magnitude. The more stars you can see, the better your skies are.
View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Sergei Timofeevski shared this image from November 13, 2023. Sergei wrote: “The constellation Orion the Hunter and the star Sirius rising just above the eastern horizon in the Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, California.” Thank you, Sergei! Note bright Sirius is on the bottom, and Orion’s Belt pointing to it.
Nebulae of Orion the Hunter
The stars in the Sword that hangs down from the Belt are part of the Orion Nebula (M42). Yes, you can see the nebula, or cloud of gas, without optical aid as a hazy, 4th-magnitude patch. Using magnification reveals a quadruple star at the center of the nebula. These four newborn stars – the Trapezium Cluster – light up their dusty cocoon, making its glow visible to us here on Earth, a vast 1,400 light-years away.
The famous Horsehead Nebula lies near the Belt star Alnitak. This dark nebula is a faint target even for most amateur telescopes; your best bet is to view it in a picture compliments of an astrophotographer. (Learn more about dark nebulae.)
Along Orion’s side between Alnitak and Betelgeuse (but closer to the belt stars) is the 8th-magnitude nebula M78. M78 has the awkward title of “brightest diffuse reflection nebula in the sky.” One more notable nebula in Orion is near Rigel and crosses into Eridanus the River. IC 2118, the Witch Head Nebula, is extremely faint but also extremely large, spanning six full moons.
View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Andy Dungan near Cotopaxi, Colorado, captured this telescopic view of the Orion Nebula on October 4, 2024. Andy wrote: “I recently took a pic of Orion [look here] using an Antlia RGB enhancer. This photo turned out much bluer. Both pics are fun and I think I like the bluer one better. Orion is such a wonderful object to explore.” It definitely is, thank you, Andy!
More EarthSky Community Photos of Orion
View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Catherine Hyde in Cambria, California, captured these nebulae in Orion on January 5, 2024. Catherine wrote: “This is essentially first light on my new Redcat 51 scope, the smallest scope I’ve ever had. The short focal length allowed me to frame the belt and sword of Orion in one image. Included are the Flame and Horsehead Nebulae, and the iconic Orion Nebula with the Running Man above it.” Thank you, Catherine!View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Harshwardhan Pathak of India used a large remote telescope in Australia to capture the Orion Nebula on October 5, 2023. Harshwardhan wrote: “Popularly called the Orion Nebula, this stellar nursery has been known to many different cultures throughout human history. The nebula is only 1,400 light-years away, making it the closest large star-forming region to Earth … This is the target which every astrophotographer wants to shoot in winter’s night sky.” A beautiful capture. Thank you, Harshwardhan!View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Tameem Altameemi in the Ras Al Khaimah Mountains, United Arab Emirates (UAE), captured this telescopic view of the Horsehead Nebula in the constellation Orion on November 18, 2023. Tameem wrote: “My astrophotography from the sky of UAE. The Flame Nebula, designated as NGC 2024 and Sh2-277, is an emission nebula in the constellation Orion. It is about 900 to 1,500 light-years away, and the Horsehead Nebula, a small dark nebula in the constellation Orion.” Thank you, Tameem!
Bottom line: Orion the Hunter may be the most recognizable constellation in the world. It’s visible from the north in winter and from the south in summer. And it’s full of many deep-sky treasures.
View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Rob Ratkowski took this all-sky view from Haleakala Observatory in Hawaii in 2023. It shows the path of the sun across the sky at the solstices (top and bottom) and at the equinoxes (center). Thanks, Rob! Find more personal solstices below!
View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Doug Pederson in Minneapolis, Minnesota, captured this scene on December 21, 2023. Doug wrote: “We host a solstice s’mores party every year on the solstice. Seems to bring out all types in our neighborhood, and this year will be our 12th annual event. A lot of kids have grown up but still come back!” Thank you, Doug!View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Rick Williams of Woodland, California, wrote in December 2020: “This was taken one day before last year’s solstice, at noon. I have a small mirror in front of my house, which reflects the sun onto my outside wall. Every day, I mark the reflection on the wall exactly at noon, which delineates an analemma over the course of a year. It took me a couple of years to get it done. Since the sun is lower in the sky, its reflection is lower on the wall. At the solstice (sol = sun, sistere = to stand still), the sun seems to pause and reverse its course. It is directly overhead at noon at 23.5 deg S, Tropic of Capricorn.” Thank you, Rick!View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Laurel Sherrie shared this photo of herself on December 21, 2020. She wrote: “Plein air painting at Point Buchon Trail, Los Osos, California. This is a rock formation we call Stonehenge, and it never disappoints. It was magical to be there for the winter solstice. Just a cell phone. A friend took the photo of me painting a favorite coastal scene on the winter solstice. So magical!” Thank you, Laurel!
More from our community
View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Jeff Schreier captured this image on the winter solstice in Sandy Hook, New Jersey. Jeff wrote: “Treehenge is located on Sandy Hook Bay in Ft. Hancock, New Jersey. On every summer solstice, the sun sets in the center opening of this small tree. Here on the winter solstice, the sun sets far to the left, while a barge holds its position and reflects its light.” Thank you, Jeff!View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Markham Starr captured this image at the 2019 December solstice in North Stonington, Connecticut. He wrote: “Native American winter solstice sunrise wall. Sun rises over the next hilltop 7/10 of a mile away. There is a spring right where the sun rises over that ridge line, so the sun also rises over water.” Thank you, Markham!View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Leslie Scopes-Anderson in Cooperstown, New York, captured this image at the December 2017 solstice. She wrote: “Sunset on a frozen pond shows the returning of the light.” Thank you, Leslie!Judy Glattstein in New Jersey wrote in 2016, “Houses here are spread apart. No chimneys, no standing stones. But in the cold of a solstice morning the trees serve to define the rising of the sun.” Thank you, Judy!View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Raul Cortes in Monterrey, Mexico, created this personal solstices composite from images captured on December 22, 2021. He wrote: “Mountain and sun attended their annual winter solstice reunion. The sun showed over the Horse Saddle Hill exactly in the middle of the saddle on December 22 for this 2021 solstice, as seen from El Obispado Hill in Monterrey, Mexico. Once again, they met together on this day, as they did last year and will do next year.” Thank you, Raul!
Personal solstices in shadows
These next few are all about shadows. Ben Orlove wrote in 2016: “On the mornings close to the winter solstice, when the sun’s course is at its lowest and southernmost, the shadow of a chimney across the street from my building falls directly on the peak of the adjacent roof and lands on the wall next to it. Our own Stonehenge!” Thank you, Ben!Capturing the year’s longest noontime shadow – December 21, 2016 – in Hyderabad, India. Photo by PadmaSri Naidu.Athens, Greece, at noon on the day of the solstice – December 21, 2016 – by Nikolaos Pantazis. Notice the long shadows!View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Wells Shoemaker captured this image on the day of the December solstice in 2005 in Death Valley National Park. He said: “The Eureka Dunes, rising 750 feet (230 meters) above the desert floor, are among the tallest in North America. The low solstice sun casts the longest shadows of the year.” Thanks, Wells!
Bottom line: Some people like to mark the solstice with a special sunset view, or marking of shadows, or party! Personal solstices from the EarthSky community, here.
View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Rob Ratkowski took this all-sky view from Haleakala Observatory in Hawaii in 2023. It shows the path of the sun across the sky at the solstices (top and bottom) and at the equinoxes (center). Thanks, Rob! Find more personal solstices below!
View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Doug Pederson in Minneapolis, Minnesota, captured this scene on December 21, 2023. Doug wrote: “We host a solstice s’mores party every year on the solstice. Seems to bring out all types in our neighborhood, and this year will be our 12th annual event. A lot of kids have grown up but still come back!” Thank you, Doug!View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Rick Williams of Woodland, California, wrote in December 2020: “This was taken one day before last year’s solstice, at noon. I have a small mirror in front of my house, which reflects the sun onto my outside wall. Every day, I mark the reflection on the wall exactly at noon, which delineates an analemma over the course of a year. It took me a couple of years to get it done. Since the sun is lower in the sky, its reflection is lower on the wall. At the solstice (sol = sun, sistere = to stand still), the sun seems to pause and reverse its course. It is directly overhead at noon at 23.5 deg S, Tropic of Capricorn.” Thank you, Rick!View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Laurel Sherrie shared this photo of herself on December 21, 2020. She wrote: “Plein air painting at Point Buchon Trail, Los Osos, California. This is a rock formation we call Stonehenge, and it never disappoints. It was magical to be there for the winter solstice. Just a cell phone. A friend took the photo of me painting a favorite coastal scene on the winter solstice. So magical!” Thank you, Laurel!
More from our community
View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Jeff Schreier captured this image on the winter solstice in Sandy Hook, New Jersey. Jeff wrote: “Treehenge is located on Sandy Hook Bay in Ft. Hancock, New Jersey. On every summer solstice, the sun sets in the center opening of this small tree. Here on the winter solstice, the sun sets far to the left, while a barge holds its position and reflects its light.” Thank you, Jeff!View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Markham Starr captured this image at the 2019 December solstice in North Stonington, Connecticut. He wrote: “Native American winter solstice sunrise wall. Sun rises over the next hilltop 7/10 of a mile away. There is a spring right where the sun rises over that ridge line, so the sun also rises over water.” Thank you, Markham!View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Leslie Scopes-Anderson in Cooperstown, New York, captured this image at the December 2017 solstice. She wrote: “Sunset on a frozen pond shows the returning of the light.” Thank you, Leslie!Judy Glattstein in New Jersey wrote in 2016, “Houses here are spread apart. No chimneys, no standing stones. But in the cold of a solstice morning the trees serve to define the rising of the sun.” Thank you, Judy!View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Raul Cortes in Monterrey, Mexico, created this personal solstices composite from images captured on December 22, 2021. He wrote: “Mountain and sun attended their annual winter solstice reunion. The sun showed over the Horse Saddle Hill exactly in the middle of the saddle on December 22 for this 2021 solstice, as seen from El Obispado Hill in Monterrey, Mexico. Once again, they met together on this day, as they did last year and will do next year.” Thank you, Raul!
Personal solstices in shadows
These next few are all about shadows. Ben Orlove wrote in 2016: “On the mornings close to the winter solstice, when the sun’s course is at its lowest and southernmost, the shadow of a chimney across the street from my building falls directly on the peak of the adjacent roof and lands on the wall next to it. Our own Stonehenge!” Thank you, Ben!Capturing the year’s longest noontime shadow – December 21, 2016 – in Hyderabad, India. Photo by PadmaSri Naidu.Athens, Greece, at noon on the day of the solstice – December 21, 2016 – by Nikolaos Pantazis. Notice the long shadows!View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Wells Shoemaker captured this image on the day of the December solstice in 2005 in Death Valley National Park. He said: “The Eureka Dunes, rising 750 feet (230 meters) above the desert floor, are among the tallest in North America. The low solstice sun casts the longest shadows of the year.” Thanks, Wells!
Bottom line: Some people like to mark the solstice with a special sunset view, or marking of shadows, or party! Personal solstices from the EarthSky community, here.
The December solstice (winter for the Northern Hemisphere, summer for the Southern Hemisphere) will take place at 9:21 UTC on December 21, 2024. That’s 3:21 a.m. CST.
Later, in 2025, the March equinox (start of spring for the Northern Hemisphere, autumn for the Southern Hemisphere) takes place at 9:01 UTC, March 20 (4:01 a.m. CDT).
As an illustration, a solstice marks the sun’s southernmost and northernmost points in our sky. An equinox, meanwhile, marks when the sun crosses over the Earth’s equator.
In addition, the fact that Earth’s Northern and Southern Hemispheres have their summers and winters at opposite times of the year provides a clue to the reason for Earth’s seasons. That reason is Earth’s 23 1/2-degree tilt on its axis. It’s natural, of course, to think our world’s seasons result from our changing distance from the sun. But we’re closer to the sun in northern winter, and farther from the sun in northern summer. So, it’s not Earth’s distance from the sun that causes the seasons to change. Instead, on our tilted world, the angle of sunlight striking your location shifts in a yearly cycle, as we travel around the sun.
The photos and video on this page – from NASA – show Earth’s solstices and equinoxes from space. They can help you visualize why our seasons unfold as they do, continuously, throughout each year.
Earth’s seasons result from our planet’s tilt on its axis with respect to our orbit around the sun. Here are images of the different solstices and equinoxes from space. Upper left: northern winter solstice. Lower left: northern summer solstice. Upper right: northern spring equinox. Lower right: northern autumnal equinox. Images from EUMETSAT‘s Meteosat-9 weather satellite, via the archives of NASA Earth Observatory.
Viewing the solstices and equinoxes from space
EUMETSAT‘s Meteosat-9 (a weather satellite) captured the four views above of Earth from geosynchronous orbit in 2010 and 2011. A satellite in geosynchronous orbit stays over the same point on Earth all the time. And the images above show how sunlight fell on the Earth on December 21, 2010 (upper left), March 20, 2011 (upper right), June 21, 2011 (lower left), and September 20, 2011 (lower right). Also, each image was taken at 6:12 a.m. local time.
Around 6 a.m. local time each day, the sun, Earth, and any geosynchronous satellite form a right angle. Thus, affording a straight-down view of Earth’s terminator line, that is, the line between our world’s day and night sides. The shape of this line between night and day varies with the seasons. And as a result, causes different lengths of days and differing amounts of warming sunshine.
However, while the line is actually a curve because the Earth is round, satellite images show it in two dimensions only.
The terminator
On March 21 and September 23, the terminator is a straight north-south line, and the sun sits directly above the equator. Then, on December 21, the sun resides directly over the Tropic of Capricorn when viewed from the ground, and sunlight spreads over more of the Southern Hemisphere. Next, on June 21, the sun sits above the Tropic of Cancer, spreading more sunlight in the north.
Illustration showing the Earth’s orbit around the sun during the year with the tilt of Earth’s axis and position of the Earth during each season. Image via Wikimedia Commons.
Bottom line: A video from NASA shows how sunlight falls on Earth’s surface during the solstices and equinoxes, as seen by the weather satellite Meteosat-9 in 2010 and 2011.
The December solstice (winter for the Northern Hemisphere, summer for the Southern Hemisphere) will take place at 9:21 UTC on December 21, 2024. That’s 3:21 a.m. CST.
Later, in 2025, the March equinox (start of spring for the Northern Hemisphere, autumn for the Southern Hemisphere) takes place at 9:01 UTC, March 20 (4:01 a.m. CDT).
As an illustration, a solstice marks the sun’s southernmost and northernmost points in our sky. An equinox, meanwhile, marks when the sun crosses over the Earth’s equator.
In addition, the fact that Earth’s Northern and Southern Hemispheres have their summers and winters at opposite times of the year provides a clue to the reason for Earth’s seasons. That reason is Earth’s 23 1/2-degree tilt on its axis. It’s natural, of course, to think our world’s seasons result from our changing distance from the sun. But we’re closer to the sun in northern winter, and farther from the sun in northern summer. So, it’s not Earth’s distance from the sun that causes the seasons to change. Instead, on our tilted world, the angle of sunlight striking your location shifts in a yearly cycle, as we travel around the sun.
The photos and video on this page – from NASA – show Earth’s solstices and equinoxes from space. They can help you visualize why our seasons unfold as they do, continuously, throughout each year.
Earth’s seasons result from our planet’s tilt on its axis with respect to our orbit around the sun. Here are images of the different solstices and equinoxes from space. Upper left: northern winter solstice. Lower left: northern summer solstice. Upper right: northern spring equinox. Lower right: northern autumnal equinox. Images from EUMETSAT‘s Meteosat-9 weather satellite, via the archives of NASA Earth Observatory.
Viewing the solstices and equinoxes from space
EUMETSAT‘s Meteosat-9 (a weather satellite) captured the four views above of Earth from geosynchronous orbit in 2010 and 2011. A satellite in geosynchronous orbit stays over the same point on Earth all the time. And the images above show how sunlight fell on the Earth on December 21, 2010 (upper left), March 20, 2011 (upper right), June 21, 2011 (lower left), and September 20, 2011 (lower right). Also, each image was taken at 6:12 a.m. local time.
Around 6 a.m. local time each day, the sun, Earth, and any geosynchronous satellite form a right angle. Thus, affording a straight-down view of Earth’s terminator line, that is, the line between our world’s day and night sides. The shape of this line between night and day varies with the seasons. And as a result, causes different lengths of days and differing amounts of warming sunshine.
However, while the line is actually a curve because the Earth is round, satellite images show it in two dimensions only.
The terminator
On March 21 and September 23, the terminator is a straight north-south line, and the sun sits directly above the equator. Then, on December 21, the sun resides directly over the Tropic of Capricorn when viewed from the ground, and sunlight spreads over more of the Southern Hemisphere. Next, on June 21, the sun sits above the Tropic of Cancer, spreading more sunlight in the north.
Illustration showing the Earth’s orbit around the sun during the year with the tilt of Earth’s axis and position of the Earth during each season. Image via Wikimedia Commons.
Bottom line: A video from NASA shows how sunlight falls on Earth’s surface during the solstices and equinoxes, as seen by the weather satellite Meteosat-9 in 2010 and 2011.
View larger. | This elevation map depicts the South Pole-Aitken basin on the moon. It is the moon’s largest crater. The lowest regions are in blue and purple. A new study suggested the crater is more circular in shape than scientists previously thought. Image via NASA/ GSFC/ University of Arizona.
The South Pole-Aitken basin is the largest impact crater on the moon. Its 1,550-mile (2,500-km) expanse also makes it one of the largest known impact craters in the solar system.
Scientists thought the basin was oval in shape. This is the shape that would form if the impacting asteroid hit the moon at a low angle.
But a new study shows the massive crater is more circular. The researchers studied mountains around the edge of the basin to determine its original shape.
South Pole-Aitken basin is the moon’s largest crater
The moon is covered in craters. The South Pole-Aitken basin is the largest crater on the moon, resulting from a massive impact billions of years ago. It sits on the moon’s far side, stretching from the South Pole to a crater named Aitken, thus its name. For a long time, scientists thought this huge crater was oval-shaped, forming when an asteroid hit the moon at a shallow angle. But on December 6, 2024, a research team led by the University of Maryland said the basin is more circular than scientists previously thought.
The finding, based on data from NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO), also has implications for NASA’s plans to send astronauts to the lunar South Pole as part of the Artemis missions.
The researchers published their peer-reviewed results in Earth and Planetary Science Letters on November 28, 2024. The paper will also be in Volume 650 of the journal, on January 25, 2025.
Moon’s largest crater rounder than previously thought
The South Pole-Aitken basin is enormous, about 1,550 miles (2,500 km) across. In fact, that’s nearly a quarter of the circumference of the moon. It’s one of the largest known impact craters in the solar system.
Scientists thought the basin was more oval shaped than circular. That would mean the impacting asteroid that created it hit the lunar surface at a shallow angle. But the new study suggests the crater is rounder. Hannes Bernhardt, an assistant research scientist in the University of Maryland’s Department of Geology is the lead author. He said:
It’s challenging to study the South Pole-Aitken basin holistically due to its sheer enormousness, which is why scientists are still trying to learn its shape and size. In addition, 4 billion years have passed since the basin was originally formed and many other impacts have obscured its original appearance. Our work challenges many existing ideas about how this massive impact occurred and distributed materials, but we are now a step closer to better understand the moon’s early history and evolution over time.
Mountains provide a clue
So, how did the researchers determine the basin is more circular? They used high-resolution images from NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter to study mountain formations around the edge of the basin. They found more than 200 of these mountain formations. The scientists think they’re remnants from the original impact. The new data revealed something interesting. If the original impact likely created a more circular crater, it would have spread debris across the moon’s South Pole, where the Artemis astronauts will land. As Bernhardt said:
A rounder, more circular shape indicates that an object struck the moon’s surface at a more vertical angle, possibly similar to dropping a rock straight down onto the ground. This circular impact implies that debris from the impact is more equally distributed around it than was originally thought, which means that Artemis astronauts or robots in the South Pole region may be able to closely study rocks from deep within the moon’s mantle or crust; materials that are typically impossible for us to access.
View larger. | The South Pole-Aitken basin is enormous, stretching about 1,550 miles (2,500 km) from Aitken crater to the South Pole. Image via NASA/ GSFC/ Arizona State University.
Insight into the moon’s origin
Being able to study these rocks is good news for the upcoming Artemis missions. They could provide valuable clues about the moon’s interior and how the moon first formed. The impact would have sprayed material from the moon’s lower crust and upper mantle. Much of that material should still be sitting on the surface, waiting for astronauts or robots to collect samples for study. As Bernhardt noted:
One of the most exciting implications of our research is how it is applicable to missions to the moon and beyond. Astronauts exploring the lunar South Pole might have easier access to ancient lunar materials that could help us understand how the moon and our solar system came to be.
Chandrayaan-3 mission findings support new study
In addition, India’s Chandrayaan-3 mission landed near the lunar South Pole on August 23, 2023. Among its findings, the rover discovered minerals that indicated impact debris came from the mantle close to the South Pole. This supported the theory that the impact was more head-on than at an angle.
In 2019, scientists reported the discovery of an unusual large mass of material beneath the South Pole-Aitken basin. It likely extends more than 200 miles (320 km) deep. Scientists think it consists of metal and leftover material from the asteroid impact that created the basin.
Bottom line: The South Pole-Aitken basin is the moon’s largest crater. Scientists have thought it was oval-shaped, but a new study suggests it’s more circular.
View larger. | This elevation map depicts the South Pole-Aitken basin on the moon. It is the moon’s largest crater. The lowest regions are in blue and purple. A new study suggested the crater is more circular in shape than scientists previously thought. Image via NASA/ GSFC/ University of Arizona.
The South Pole-Aitken basin is the largest impact crater on the moon. Its 1,550-mile (2,500-km) expanse also makes it one of the largest known impact craters in the solar system.
Scientists thought the basin was oval in shape. This is the shape that would form if the impacting asteroid hit the moon at a low angle.
But a new study shows the massive crater is more circular. The researchers studied mountains around the edge of the basin to determine its original shape.
South Pole-Aitken basin is the moon’s largest crater
The moon is covered in craters. The South Pole-Aitken basin is the largest crater on the moon, resulting from a massive impact billions of years ago. It sits on the moon’s far side, stretching from the South Pole to a crater named Aitken, thus its name. For a long time, scientists thought this huge crater was oval-shaped, forming when an asteroid hit the moon at a shallow angle. But on December 6, 2024, a research team led by the University of Maryland said the basin is more circular than scientists previously thought.
The finding, based on data from NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO), also has implications for NASA’s plans to send astronauts to the lunar South Pole as part of the Artemis missions.
The researchers published their peer-reviewed results in Earth and Planetary Science Letters on November 28, 2024. The paper will also be in Volume 650 of the journal, on January 25, 2025.
Moon’s largest crater rounder than previously thought
The South Pole-Aitken basin is enormous, about 1,550 miles (2,500 km) across. In fact, that’s nearly a quarter of the circumference of the moon. It’s one of the largest known impact craters in the solar system.
Scientists thought the basin was more oval shaped than circular. That would mean the impacting asteroid that created it hit the lunar surface at a shallow angle. But the new study suggests the crater is rounder. Hannes Bernhardt, an assistant research scientist in the University of Maryland’s Department of Geology is the lead author. He said:
It’s challenging to study the South Pole-Aitken basin holistically due to its sheer enormousness, which is why scientists are still trying to learn its shape and size. In addition, 4 billion years have passed since the basin was originally formed and many other impacts have obscured its original appearance. Our work challenges many existing ideas about how this massive impact occurred and distributed materials, but we are now a step closer to better understand the moon’s early history and evolution over time.
Mountains provide a clue
So, how did the researchers determine the basin is more circular? They used high-resolution images from NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter to study mountain formations around the edge of the basin. They found more than 200 of these mountain formations. The scientists think they’re remnants from the original impact. The new data revealed something interesting. If the original impact likely created a more circular crater, it would have spread debris across the moon’s South Pole, where the Artemis astronauts will land. As Bernhardt said:
A rounder, more circular shape indicates that an object struck the moon’s surface at a more vertical angle, possibly similar to dropping a rock straight down onto the ground. This circular impact implies that debris from the impact is more equally distributed around it than was originally thought, which means that Artemis astronauts or robots in the South Pole region may be able to closely study rocks from deep within the moon’s mantle or crust; materials that are typically impossible for us to access.
View larger. | The South Pole-Aitken basin is enormous, stretching about 1,550 miles (2,500 km) from Aitken crater to the South Pole. Image via NASA/ GSFC/ Arizona State University.
Insight into the moon’s origin
Being able to study these rocks is good news for the upcoming Artemis missions. They could provide valuable clues about the moon’s interior and how the moon first formed. The impact would have sprayed material from the moon’s lower crust and upper mantle. Much of that material should still be sitting on the surface, waiting for astronauts or robots to collect samples for study. As Bernhardt noted:
One of the most exciting implications of our research is how it is applicable to missions to the moon and beyond. Astronauts exploring the lunar South Pole might have easier access to ancient lunar materials that could help us understand how the moon and our solar system came to be.
Chandrayaan-3 mission findings support new study
In addition, India’s Chandrayaan-3 mission landed near the lunar South Pole on August 23, 2023. Among its findings, the rover discovered minerals that indicated impact debris came from the mantle close to the South Pole. This supported the theory that the impact was more head-on than at an angle.
In 2019, scientists reported the discovery of an unusual large mass of material beneath the South Pole-Aitken basin. It likely extends more than 200 miles (320 km) deep. Scientists think it consists of metal and leftover material from the asteroid impact that created the basin.
Bottom line: The South Pole-Aitken basin is the moon’s largest crater. Scientists have thought it was oval-shaped, but a new study suggests it’s more circular.
