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Comet Caps a Year of Natural Beauty

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Astronomy
Intelligent Design
Physical Sciences
Planetology
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I took a set of images of comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS last night, which was the first sighting I had of it. It’s visible to the unaided eye. Above is the result of combining ten images with a specialized method. This is the time for people to start looking for the comet after sunset. For more information, see the article at Sky & Telescope, “Get Ready for Comet Tsuchinshan-Atlas — The Best Is Yet to Come!

It has been a year of natural beauty for Americans, with a total solar eclipse, two bright aurora displays, and now a bright comet. Casey Luskin said it well here, back in May, “I believe that the beauty of the aurora borealis (or more generally, the ‘aurora’) is another way of appreciating that our planet was designed by a Mind who not only is brilliant but also loves us.” And yes, I took the picture from a cemetery in a small town in northern Alabama (perfect for Halloween!).

For more on the design of our planet for discovery and for beauty, see the newly expanded edition of my book with philosopher Jay Richards, The Privileged Planet.

Guillermo Gonzalez

Senior Fellow, Center for Science and Culture
Guillermo Gonzalez is a Senior Fellow at Discovery Institute’s Center for Science and Culture. He received his Ph.D. in Astronomy in 1993 from the University of Washington. He has done post-doctoral work at the University of Texas, Austin and at the University of Washington and has received fellowships, grants and awards from such institutions as NASA, the University of Washington, the Templeton Foundation, Sigma Xi (scientific research society) and the National Science Foundation. In 2024, he co-authored the YA novel The Farm at the Center of the Universe with Jonathan Witt.
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