Colorado photographers capture dramatic images of a comet that only occurs once every 80,000 years

A comet discovered approaching our solar system last year is now clearly visible in Colorado’s night sky.

C/2023 A3 Tsuchinshan-ATLAS is seen over the southwestern horizon after sunset. The comet, also known as the Oort Cloud Comet, was identified by observers at China’s Tsuchinshan Observatory – or “Purple Mountain” – and an Asteroid Terrestrial-Impact Last Alert System (ATLAS) telescope in South Africa, according to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). It was officially named in honor of both observatories.

Based on its trajectory and calculated orbit, scientists estimate that the comet will no longer be visible to human eyes for 80,000 years.

According to NASA, the comet successfully completed its next transit past the Sun on September 27th and came within 44 million miles of Earth on October 12th. It is gradually becoming more visible for the northern hemisphere

They feared that the comet would not survive perihelion, or the passage through its region closest to the sun. Comet ISON disintegrated in November 2013 due to the sun’s heat and gravity. The same thing happened with comet Kohoutek in 1973.

“Comets are more fragile than people may realize because of the impact that passing by the Sun has on its internal water ice and volatiles such as carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide,” said NASA astronomer Bill Cooke, who leads the Meteoroid Environment NASA’s office runs Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama.

C/2023 A3 Tsuchinshan-ATLAS is huge in size and length. Its head is currently a whopping three kilometers in diameter. The tail, made up largely of tiny pieces of ice and dust, is estimated to be up to 29 million kilometers long.

The main broadcast is expected to last until October 26th.