This is an animation of 200, 10 second captures using the L filter. The insert is a fully processed stack of the starless images. Tracking of the comet was done by the Planewave L-500 comet tracking function with data downloaded from the Minor Planet Center comet database.

The Comet of Two Tails

The comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS) has two distinct types of tails, one pointing away from the Sun and the other appearing to point more toward the Sun. This occurs because comets typically develop two main types of tails as they approach the Sun:

1. Ion (Gas) Tail – Points Directly Away from the SunThe ion tail, also called the gas or plasma tail, forms when the Sun’s ultraviolet radiation ionizes gases (like carbon monoxide and water vapor) in the comet's coma. The solar wind, which is a stream of charged particles (mainly protons and electrons) flowing outward from the Sun, then blows these ionized particles away, causing the ion tail to always point directly away from the Sun. This tail tends to be bluish due to ionized gases like carbon monoxide.

2. Dust Tail – May Curve or Point Toward the SunThe dust tail, which consists of small, solid particles, behaves differently. These particles are released from the comet’s nucleus as the Sun’s heat vaporizes volatile materials, but unlike gas, the dust particles are influenced more by the comet’s own motion and by radiation pressure (sunlight pushing on the dust particles). This results in the dust tail typically pointing away from the Sun but in a broader, often curved path. The curve is due to the balance between the comet’s forward motion and the solar radiation pressure.In some cases, it may look like part of the dust tail is pointing slightly toward the Sun. This is because the comet’s motion and the forces acting on the dust particles cause a more complex tail shape, with some dust lingering in the comet's orbital path. Additionally, when observing the comet from Earth, our perspective can make the dust tail appear to point in different directions, depending on how the comet is oriented in its orbit.

Summary of Tails on C/2023 A3:

• Ion Tail: Straight and pointing directly away from the Sun due to solar wind.
• Dust Tail: May appear to curve or point toward the Sun because of the comet’s motion and radiation pressure.