NASA Astronaut Captured Breathtaking Video of the Comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan–ATLAS) From Orbit

While astronomers and space enthusiasts are waiting to see the comet C/2023 A3 from Earth, NASA astronauts have already witnessed the Tsuchinshan–ATLAS from the ISS. Two astronauts aboard the space station have shared stunning videos and images featuring a comet of the century from orbit.

Comet C/2023 A3 Tsuchinshan-ATLAS seen from the ISS

Astronauts onboard the International Space Station have already observed the comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS. NASA astronaut Matthew Dominick shared a timelapse video of a Comet C/2023 A3 as it’s seen from orbit.

Despite it looks bright and clear on the footage, the comet is still barely seen in the sky. “So far Comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS looks like a fuzzy star to the naked eye looking out the cupola windows,” Matthew Dominick writes.

Another NASA astronaut and astrophotographer, Donald Pettit, shared images of the comet, noting that “the perspective of rising through the atmosphere on edge is truly unique from our vantage point.”

He also wrote that the comet’s tail is still too dim to see with your eyes, “but it is heading towards the sun and growing brighter every day.” 

About comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan–ATLAS)

C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan–ATLAS) is a comet from the Oort cloud discovered by the Purple Mountain Observatory (China) on 9 January 2023. It was also independently found by ATLAS (a robotic astronomical survey and early warning system for detecting smaller near-Earth objects) on 22 February 2023.