Indian stargazers capture breathtaking images of rare comet seen after 80,000 years | Trending

In an extraordinary celestial event, Indian stargazers were treated to the rare sight of Comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS) in the first week of October. The comet, last seen 80,000 years ago, has generated excitement among astronomy enthusiasts. Astrophotographers across the country have captured breathtaking images of this once-in-a-lifetime space rock, which is expected to come closest to Earth between 12th and 24th October. Stargazers in India captured rare Comet C/2023 A3, last seen 80,000 years ago, in early October. (Also read: Mystery lights paint Bengaluru sky pink, yellow and green. They turned out to be…) Capturing the celestial marvel in LadakhOn 1st October, a team of astrophotographers headed to Gongma La, Hanle, in Ladakh, to photograph the comet. The team braved the high altitude and freezing temperatures to witness the event. The Instagram account @comic_trails shared the mesmerising image with the caption: “On 1st October morning, the astrophotography masterclass team travelled to Gongma la (4880 mt above sea level) to capture the comet. The oxygen and temperature were low, but the spirits were high.” Photographers Abhinav Singhai, Atish Aman, Lakshmi Narayana, Pritam Panigrahi, Smita Singh, Anuj Singh, and Angchok Padma were credited for the stunning images. Mahabalipuram’s stunning viewOn 4th October, astrophotographer Satya Narayanan Sridhar captured a breathtaking image of the comet near Mahabalipuram, Tamil Nadu. Sharing the picture on Instagram, he wrote: “With favourable weather conditions on a streak, we planned a trip to catch the comet before we lose it to twilight in the coming days. When the twilight broke, the comet peeped out of a veil of cloud hanging close to the sea.” Sridhar marvelled at the comet’s long tail, adjusting his camera’s focal length to fully capture its beauty Bengaluru’s celestial delightKeerthi Kiran M, a member of the Bangalore Astronomical Society, also captured striking images of the comet on 4th October. She shared a stacked image on her Instagram page, showcasing the comet’s long tail. She encouraged followers to look for it in the early morning sky: “If the sky is clear, you should be able to spot it between 5 AM and 5:45 AM.” Kiran also posted a time-lapse video of the comet as it slowly disappeared into the morning light. Hyderabad’s astrophotographer’s captureOn 5th October, an astrophotographer from Hyderabad, known as @itsardnepu on X, shared a close-up shot of the comet from the outskirts of the city. His image captured the comet’s intricate details, adding to the excitement among astronomy enthusiasts. (Also read: ‘Once-in-a-lifetime event’: A ‘new star’ will soon be seen in the night sky after 80 years) A rare celestial isitorComet C/2023 A3, originating from the dant Oort Cloud, was discovered last year observatories in China and South Africa. The comet is said to have last passed Earth during the time of the Neanderthals, making this appearance a monumental event for astronomers worldwide.