Celestial wonders: Once-in-80,000-year comet and northern lights illuminate October skies_see pics

Brown University astronomers captured stunning images of a once-in-a-lifetime comet and vibrant auroras across the skies above Rhode Island.

PROVIDENCE, R.I. [Brown University] — As spooky season unfolds, the October sky has come alive with some frightfully stellar sights.

Among these cosmic wonders is Comet Tsuchinshan–ATLAS, a rare visitor that won’t near Earth again for another 80,000 years. Officially designated C/2023 A3, this remarkable space rock is hurtling toward the planet from the far reaches of the solar system, with its closest approach expected to be about 44 million miles away. Discovered last year by astronomers in China and South Africa, the comet originates from the Oort Cloud, a distant region beyond Pluto.

Visible until the end of October, Tsuchinshan–ATLAS shines brightly enough to be seen with the naked eye, although binoculars and telescopes enhance the viewing experience. Below are images captured by Brown astronomers of the comet over Providence and other parts of Rhode Island.

 

October has also treated sky gazers to dazzling and rare showings of the northern lights. Also known as the aurora borealis, the lights are a natural phenomenon that occur when particles from the sun hit gases in Earth’s atmosphere, resulting in brilliant hues of purple, green, red and pink dancing across the night sky. Usually, effects from the aurora can only be seen from remote regions close to the planet’s northern magnetic poles, but periods of intense solar activity can cause the lights to forgo their name and be seen much farther south.

Brown astronomers captured images of this phenomenon as well, including glimpses of the northern lights over campus for about 30 minutes after the Earth experienced a major geomagnetic storm.