University of Tokyo captures images of Tsuchinshan-Atlas comet

The University of Tokyo Atacama Observatory Project, which is building a 6.5-meter telescope at the summit of Mount Chajnantor in Chile, has captured and unveiled images of the Tsuchinshan-Atlas comet.
The comet, which is approaching Earth, was found by researchers at China’s Purple Mountain Observatory in January last year.
The comet can be seen only this time as it does not approach periodically, unlike Halley’s comet.
In Japan, the comet is expected to be seen in the lower eastern sky at dawn until early this month and in the southwestern sky right after sunset later in the month.
“I was so impressed that my body trembled when a faint ray of light of the comet came into view from the eastern sky,” said Hidenori Takahashi, assistant professor at the national university, who is part of the project’s photographing team.