[Artistic] Submission 142511 – Ladi Svoboda

Castlepoint Lighthouse & Comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS) After a long week at work, my friend and I were itching for something out of the ordinary. It was one of those moments where spontaneity took over, and without much thought, we grabbed our gear and hit the road. Three hours later, we found ourselves at a secluded beach near the Castlepoint lighthouse. The night was crisp and clear, the perfect canvas for deep-space photography. We set up camp on the beach, the sound of the waves in the background, and spent hours capturing nebulae, and star clusters. The sky stretched infinitely above us, each shot revealing more of the universe. The hours melted away, and before we knew it, the first light of dawn began creeping over the horizon. With a little sleep on the cold sand, we packed up and moved closer to the lighthouse. We were determined to align the comet with its towering silhouette. The sky had softened into a dreamy orange and blue as the dawn light met the faint glow of the comet. We worked quickly to capture that perfect panoramic shot—the lighthouse below and comet C/2023 A3 just above, a brief moment of cosmic alignment. Exhausted but exhilarated, we packed up our gear and made the three-hour drive back. No sleep, but plenty of memories, pie, coffee —and one unforgettable panorama.