C/2023 A3 is seen over Te Atatu, Auckland on 16 October. Photo: Supplied / Rohit Vig
A West Auckland photographer managed to capture Comet C/2023 A3 as it soared over the skies this week.
Rohit Vig took the photos in Te Atatu on Wednesday as the rare comet flew over New Zealand.
"I used my Nikon Z6ii mirrorless camera with a 85mm lens set up on a tripod at Point Chevalier beach," he said.
"I knew that the comet would be visible just after sunset in the western sky so I got to the beach at around 7.30pm and was there until about 9pm. I took lots of photos, each at 6-10 second exposure setting."
Comet C/2023 A3 is about 85 million kilometres away and only came along once in a human lifetime.
It has not been seen in New Zealand skies for 80,000 years.
It has a very long orbit around the sun, astronomers said.
"I didn't know if the comet would be visible to the naked eye," Vig said. He tracked the comet's path using an app on his phone.
"I knew from Facebook astronomy groups that other people in Auckland had been trying but had not had much luck so far.
"I couldn't see anything with naked eyes or even with binoculars, but I kept photographing the area and then suddenly I saw the comet appearing in my images as it moved below a layer of clouds that was obscuring it."
C/2023 A3 is seen over Te Atatu, Auckland on 16 October. Photo: Supplied / Rohit Vig
New Zealand has not had a visit from a bright comet for some years, Stardome astronomer Josh Aoraki told RNZ Nights recently.
Vig said it was a "very memorable experience to photograph a visitor from outer space that only comes around every 80,000 years!"
"This comet is particularly striking as it has an extraordinarily long tail. Unfortunately, so far we haven't had as good views of it as the people in the northern hemisphere, and city light pollution makes it very difficult to see it."
He said when he shared the photo on astronomy forums online it quickly gathered hundreds of likes.
Vig is a seasoned astrophotographer who recently had his first solo exhibition at the Upstairs Art Gallery in Auckland and recently received a grant from Neighbourhood Arts to display his space photos in public places in Auckland leading up to Matariki next year.
"As part of this project, I will also be raising awareness of the detrimental effects of the light pollution that increasingly obscures such wonders of the night sky for most of us city dwellers. So this image will be a part of that!"
Astronomer Aoraki said the comet will soon start to dim as it leaves the solar system.
"It could be up to a week, maybe even two weeks.
"The problem with the comet at the moment is because it's leaving the solar system it's moving away from the sun, so it's losing its brightness.
"The later you leave it the dimmer it's going to get and eventually it'll just fade out of view."
Aoraki said the comet is best seen by looking to the western horizon, just below the brightest star and to the right, between 8 and 9pm.
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