See Comet A3’s rare “antitail” in video from space

Shortly after dark on Monday evening, I looked up into the western sky and could barely see the foggy tail of comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan–ATLAS). I wish I were in a spaceship and had an unmissable view of our unusual celestial visitor.

The European Space Agency on Tuesday shared a video from its Sun-observing spacecraft SOHO that shows comet A3 like a glowing streak of light. You may even see an unusual “anti-tail” optical illusion.

The video covers the period October 7th to 13th and shows the sun obscured in the center. Comet A3 – a cosmic snowball made of dust, gases and ice – hovers over the upper right side of the image.

“The comet’s nucleus is clearly visible, surrounded by a dusty coma and trailing an impressively long tail,” ESA said. “SOHO sees the large dust tail from the edge, curving in on itself as it is pushed outward by the solar wind.” The bright dot on the left is the planet Mercury.

Read more: Aurora viewers share stunning photos of the Northern Lights

Watch the video to the end and pay attention to the thin light line that extends to the sun. ESA says the “anti-tail” phenomenon is a rare phenomenon.

“This tail is an optical illusion originating from SOHO that provides a side view of the larger cometary dust particles accumulating in the comet’s orbital plane,” the space agency said. It resembles a laser beam shooting through space.

The sun is incredibly active right now, emitting flares and solar material. These eruptions can be seen in the video. The sun’s cheerful mood has triggered impressive northern lights on Earth. Stay up to date on all the celestial events in October.

Read more: Watch ‘Insane’ Aurora Views from Space Captured by a NASA Astronaut

SOHO stands for Solar & Heliospheric Observatory. The spacecraft that explores the sun is a joint project between ESA and NASA. It launched in 1995. Comet A3 is the second brightest SOHO has ever seen. The highest award in 2007 goes to Comet C/2006 P1 (McNaught).

Comet A3 is becoming increasingly difficult to see from Earth, but Northern Hemisphere skywatchers can look west after sunset (try binoculars). Even if you miss it, you can enjoy the views from the International Space Station and the SOHO spacecraft. Comets are a rare sight, so be sure to say hello to A3 before continuing.