The 365 Days of Astronomy Awesome Astronomy - Comet 3I/ATLAS & Cerne Abbas Star Party
Nov 5, 2025
Dive into the wonders of comet 3I/ATLAS, an interstellar wanderer with surprising discoveries like nickel vapor far from the Sun. Hear about the lively Cerne Abbas Star Party, complete with brewery vibes and community stargazing fun. Explore why interstellar comets have unique compositions and get practical advice for observing the night sky this November, including tips for spotting Uranus and the Leonid meteor shower. Plus, learn about planet visibility and deep-sky targets for amateur astronomers!
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Personal Comet Lemon Observing
- Paul Hill went out the same evening to observe Comet Lemon with childhood 10x50 binoculars and a small scope.
- He sketched the comet's long tail and enjoyed the clear first proper observing night after many cloudy evenings.
Many Interstellar Visitors Will Be Found
- Interstellar objects will become common as survey telescopes improve, moving from rare headlines to routine discoveries.
- The Vera Rubin era will likely reveal many more such visitors, normalizing interstellar small-body studies.
Image Processing Creates False UFO Claims
- Over-processing images and noise near the Sun spawns false claims of shields or craft around 3I/ATLAS.
- Paul Hill warns that image artifacts and enthusiastic pattern-finding mislead non-experts into UFO claims.
