The Tsuchinshan-Atlas Comet, dubbed the "Comet of the Century," lit up the sky this weekend, offering a rare spectacle that appears once every 80,000 years.
Kurt Daniel Joves, a 23-year-old astro-photographer, captured breathtaking images of the comet at Tondaligan Beach in Dagupan City.
Joves said it took two weeks of waiting before he finally saw the comet on October 13, 2024.
“Two weeks ago, visible siya before sunrise, kaso laging inuulap, so nakailang attempt ako," Joves said.
"Napagpasyahan ko nalang mag-set up sa Tondaligan Beach kasi mas better yung horizon doon, mas clear,” he added.
The comet, discovered in January 2023 by two observatories in China, reached its closest distance to Earth—70 million kilometers—on October 12, 2024.
It can be seen in the northern hemisphere after sunset.
“Ang pinaka-peak nito [ay] October 24, mavi-visualize pero habang tumatagal, unti-unti nawawala yung liwanag niya, ibig sabihin lumalayo siya,” Engr. Jose Estrada, Jr., Chief Meteorological Officer of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical, and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) Dagupan Station, said.