C/2023 A3 Tsuchinshan–ATLAS comet over castles

C/2023 A3 Tsuchinshan-ATLAS Comet, discovered in 2023 by the Purple Mountain Observatory in China, has finally paid us a visit. You can now see it with the naked eye - it reached its brightest magnitude on October 9, while its closest approach to Earth was on October 12, 2024.

Photographers around the world took out their cameras to capture the memorable images. Of course! The passage of the Tsuchinshan-ATLAS comet is a once-in-a-lifetime event. Below are some of the best images of the ancient comet above the medieval castles of Europe.

Let's start with my favorite image so far, taken by @marianmalaquin from the Esterel. The image shows the comet with its bright tail over Ile d'Or, a private island in the Mediterranean near Saint-Raphael in the French Cote d'Azur. The tower on the island - although it looks quite medieval - was built in the late 19th century in the Saracen style by the then owner.

The next image of the comet was taken over the 600-year-old Hikone Castle in Japan by @koichi_k777. The castle has recently made headlines after the UNESCO World Heritage List said that the fortress may have met the criteria to make it on the list.

And this one shows the comet over another Japanese landmark castle - Himeji. The stunning image was taken by @nau_japan.

Just like this early morning shot by @hassy_h_n. Himeji Castle, or White Heron Castle, dates back to the 14th century and is considered Japan's most visited castle and the finest surviving example of prototypical Japanese castle architecture.

Let's get back to Europe. This image of comet C/2023 A3 was taken in Germany by @christian.wenglorz. The comet was captured over the New Palace in Potsdam, near Berlin. Considered the last great Prussian baroque palace, it was built for Frederick the Great in the second half of the 18th century. The king used to receive other royals and dignitaries there to show his power, although he did not live there all the time. The palace has more than 200 rooms, 4 main assembly halls and a theater - the man knew how to impress.

Also in Germany, the comet was spotted by @foltapictures over Schloss Marienburg, once the home of the German House of Hanover. The 135-room castle was built in the second half of the 19th century by King George V of Hanover as a birthday present for his wife, Marie of Saxe-Altenburg.

Then there’s an amazing shot of the comet above the church of Sainte-Catherine de Villeneuve sur Lot. Just look at the tail of this celestial body! The image was captured by @_xeratus on their Canon R6. Oh, the belfry of the church looks like a rocket ready to blast off to escape the gravity!

In the Czech Republic, comet C/2023 A3 was spotted and photographed over Stramberk Castle by @hadvichuk. The lonely cylindrical tower called Trúba is almost the only intact structure left of the castle. It was restored at the beginning of the 20th century as a lookout point. The rest of the fortifications are only partially preserved.

And this last shot of the comet over the Greek Acropolis is also awesome! The picture was posted on Instagram by @mliaroutsos.

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