Joy for photographer who saw 'comet of the century'

A uncommon comet has been snapped hurtling done the nighttime skies implicit portion of the West Midlands.

Joanna, from the Black Country, shared an representation of Comet A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS) with BBC News, taken astatine Kinver, successful Staffordshire connected Saturday night.

The comet was disposable for the archetypal clip successful 80,000 years astir 2 weeks ago, and astrologers said it mightiness beryllium imaginable to presumption with the bare oculus connected Saturday.

The Royal Astronomical Society (RAS) has called it the "comet of the century" due to the fact that of however agleam and disposable it tin be.

On Saturday, the comet was expected to travel wrong astir 70 cardinal km (44 cardinal miles) of Earth, according to the Nasa Earth Observatory.

In a station connected X Joanna, who did not springiness the BBC her surname, said: "Well, I can’t consciousness my fingers, but it was worthy it.

"There she is. Comet C/2023 A3 Tsuchinshan-Atlas. Hopefully this isn’t the lone accidental I’ll get to spot her."

She said she took the photograph astatine astir 19:40 BST aft going retired to spot if she could spot the comet.

It was archetypal disposable successful the confederate hemisphere betwixt 27 September and 2 October and is disposable until 30 October, the RAS said.

The nucleus of the comet - its coagulated halfway - has been estimated to beryllium 2km (1.24 miles) successful diameter.

Joanne said she had captured different phenomena successful the nighttime skies this twelvemonth including a rocket launch, the bluish lights and the milky way.

"What a twelvemonth it’s been," she posted.