Comet C/2024 G3 (ATLAS)
Taken by Lionel Majzik on January 14, 2025 @
Tápióbicske, Pest, Hungary
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Camera Used: Unavailable Unavailable
Exposure Time: Unavailable
Aperture: Unavailable
ISO: Unavailable
Date Taken: 2025:01:16 21:17:36
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Details:
Comet C/2024 G3 (ATLAS) was discovered in April 2024 by T. Linder using the ATLAS project’s 0.5-meter telescope in Chile. According to calculations, it is traveling on a highly elongated, retrograde orbit from the outer regions of the Solar System, passing just 0.09 AU (about 13.5 million kilometers) from the Sun on January 13, 2025—thus placing it almost in the “sungrazer” category. Although initial estimates gave it only a slim chance of surviving the extreme heat, observations showed that it not only endured perihelion but also became even brighter by the next day, reaching about -3.5 magnitude. Observing it was made more difficult by its small angular separation of only 5–6 degrees from the Sun.
On the morning of January 11, 2025, I would never have thought I could capture the comet again with my own equipment—let alone twice. However, a change in the weather eventually made it possible to attempt photographing this brighter-than-expected comet not just at dawn but also in broad daylight—something I had never attempted before. A few hours after the successful daytime observation, I also took advantage of the short window after sunset. Even though it was still very low above the horizon, conditions were more favorable this time, and the comet appeared brighter than it had a few days earlier at dawn.
This was my final chance to photograph it from Hungary, as adverse weather and its declining visibility in the coming days will make further observations nearly impossible. With this shot, I bid farewell to Comet C/2024 G3 (ATLAS) from the Northern Hemisphere, before it embarks on an even more spectacular display from southern latitudes.
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Technical details:
Date: 15 Jan, 2025 15:22-15:29 UT
Location: Tápióbicske, Pest, Hungary
Camera: Nikon D3300
Lens: AF-S DX Nikkor 55-300mm f/4.5-5.6G VR
Mount: WDF-4
Focal ratio, length: f/5,6, 300 mm
36 x 1/160 - 1/100 sec
ISO: 100
Processing: Astro Pixel Processor, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Lightroom
Photographer's website:
https://www.lionelmajzik.com
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