APOD: 2024 October 18 - Most of Comet Tsuchinshan ATLAS

Good Red Friday morning, Rallypoint, and welcome to the October 18th edition of Astronomy Picture of the Day (APOD). This has been a busy week for skygazers (weather permitting). First it was the Northern Lights. Then Comet Tsuchinshan took the stage. Last night was the fourth Supermoon. The winner may be the comet. This composite image (two exposures) from outside Tuscon, Arizona took my breath away. Why does the comet appear so large? Due to our perspective as the Earth is crossing the comet's orbital plane, the antitail (dust previously released and fanning out away from the Sun along the comet's orbit) is also visible. The antitail is the needle-like extension below the coma stretching toward the western horizon.