Comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS at the Field of Hope, Tomintoul

Join Cairngorms Astronomy Club and members of the Tomintoul & Glenlivet Dark Sky Park Group at the Field of Hope, Tomintoul for a comet spotting session. Please meet at the Field of Hope from 6:00pm.*

The comet will be closest to Earth on October 12th with good visibility in the northern hemisphere. Assuming clear skies we hope to be able to see it in the telescope at the Field of Hope. As comets are notoriously unpredictable, there’s no way to know at this time exactly how bright this comet will become. The comet is named after the observatories that discovered it. In this instance it was discovered by the Tsuchinshan or “Purple Mountain” Observatory in Nanjing, China on January 9th, 2023 and also by the ATLAS telescope in South Africa on February 22nd, 2023.

We’ll have the Celestron telescope on hand for comet spotting.

(*If the weather conditions are unfavourable on the 12th, the event will run again on Sunday, October 13th.)

The Glenlivet and Tomintoul area is one of the best places in the Cairngorms National Park to discover the wonders of the night sky. Not only does this remote area have stunning dark skies but it also has easy access allowing everyone to enjoy a night sky brimming with stars.

Public toilets are available in Tomintoul at Tomnabat Lane, opposite the public carpark. As we will be outside in October please dress appropriately for cool autumn conditions and changeable weather.

Limited parking is available at the Field of Hope, but you can also park in the village and walk down to the bird hide.

Tickets are free for this event. Donations are also always appreciated and can be made on the night if you wish.

Thanks for supporting our Dark Sky Park!