Catching a Glimpse of an Ancient Visitor: Photographing Comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS in Colorado

Colorado has been treating skywatchers to some amazing sights lately. Recently, the northern lights made an appearance as far south as Ouray. Now, another celestial wonder has caught our attention: the Oort Cloud comet, nicknamed Tsuchinshan-ATLAS. Spotted by two observatories in 2021, this comet, traveling about 44 million miles away from Earth, is now giving Coloradans a rare chance to see it up close. Excitingly, even though the comet is best viewed from the southern hemisphere, amateur photographers in Colorado have captured stunning images. Members of Denver7’s Discover Colorado | Through Your Photos Facebook group shared their best shots. The comet was visible during peak hours of Oct. 9-10 and could still be seen on Tuesday night. Viewers had the best luck looking southwest, just above the horizon, around the start of nightfall.

You might want to hurry if you still want to see this ancient visitor. NASA predicts that the comet, last seen 80,000 years ago and possibly never again, will be invisible to the naked eye by early November. Who knew that Colorado’s night sky could be so full of surprises? Photographers from Glenwood Springs to Colorado Springs and many places in between have shared their amazing photos. Each image offers a unique perspective on this once-in-a-lifetime comet. It’s like seeing a part of history pass by.

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