Comet last seen 80,000 years ago spotted in Shropshire skies
The Northern Lights are so last week, because a comet last seen from Earth some 80,000 years ago has been spotted in Shropshire.
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The C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan–ATLAS) comet has been putting on a show for stargazers around the world for the last few nights.
And last night, keen photographer Tom Lowe finally caught a glimpse of it hurtling through the night sky towards Earl's Hill near Pontesbury.
The cloudy skies have meant many in the county have missed out on catching a glimpse of the comet - which astronomers say would have last been visible when Neanderthals were alive.
Comets, which are made of dust, ice and small rocky particles, orbit the sun in much the same way as planets but follow a more elliptical path.
As they get close to the sun, the comets begin to warm, causing the more volatile materials such as the gases and ices trapped in the comet to escape from the inside through cracks in the crust.
Astronomers say this can make it hard to foresee the path that a comet will take while passing through the solar system.
The comet was first seen on September 29 in some countries in the Southern Hemisphere but came back into view last week.
The comet has been decreasing in brightness since Tuesday but could still remain visible until the end of October.
Those hoping to catch a glimpse are advised to grab a pair of binoculars and to look west around 45 minutes after sunset - it should be visible above the horizon for around two and a half hours.
