<< Back to gallery

Photographer:

Mike Olason

Location of Photo:

Tucson, Arizona

Date/Time of photo:

2024 July 31, 0320UT

Equipment:

50mm f/3.5 Refractor and ST-402ME CCD Camera

Description:

C/2023 A3 is continuing to follow the expected magnitude curves and is magnitude 8.9. These magnitude calculations are verified by Michael Jaeger who has done magnitude calculations on images taken by Gerald Rhemann as shown in the German Comet Group discussion pages. There is no odd behavior in the comet's magnitude at this time, the comets magnitude is simply following the magnitude curves that Seiichi Yoshida has provided for C/2023 A3. Up to this point in time there has been no major ejection of material to suggest that this comet may disintegrate or is disintegrating. The small increase in brightness above the expected curve and then small decrease in brightness evolution over the past several months is explained by orbit dynamics as observed from Earth.