Łukasz Remkowicz: Spiš Castle and C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS)

Łukasz Remkowicz: Spiš Castle and C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS) - When History Meets Cosmic Wanderer

October 2024. Slovakia. A castle that has stood for 800 years watches as a visitor from the outer solar system makes its once-in-80,000-year pass through the inner planets.

Comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS)—the brightest comet in decades—streaming its massive tail across the night sky above Spis Castle, one of the largest castle complexes in Central Europe.

Polish astrophotographer Łukasz Remkowicz drove 350 kilometers specifically for this shot. Planning the location with sky-map apps. Checking weather forecasts. Calculating exactly where the comet would appear relative to the medieval fortress. Then, executing 40 minutes of tracked exposures to capture both the castle's silhouette and the comet's delicate tail stretching across the darkness.

This is astro-landscape photography at its finest—where human history and cosmic time collide in one frame.

The Comet of the Decade

C/2023 A3 wasn't just another comet. This was the astronomical event of 2024.

Discovered in January 2023 by observatories in China (Tsuchinshan) and South Africa (ATLAS), it spent over a year approaching the inner solar system. By October 2024, it reached peak visibility—bright enough to see with the naked eye, with a tail stretching up to 25 degrees across the sky (that's 50 times the width of a full moon).

Comets are frozen relics from the solar system's formation 4.6 billion years ago. They spend most of their existence in the distant Oort Cloud, a sphere of icy bodies extending halfway to the nearest star. Occasionally, gravitational nudges send one plunging toward the Sun.

As it approaches, solar radiation vaporizes the ice, creating two tails: the dust tail (yellowish, curved, following the comet's orbit) and the ion tail (bluish, straight, pushed directly away from the Sun by solar wind). What you're seeing in this image is mostly dust—millions of tiny particles reflecting sunlight as they stream behind the comet nucleus.

C/2023 A3 won't return for roughly 80,000 years. The last time it passed through the inner solar system, Neanderthals still walked the Earth. The next time? Humans might be unrecognizable—or gone entirely.

This was a one-lifetime event. And Remkowicz captured it above one of Europe's most iconic castles.

Eight Centuries of Stone

Spis Castle (Spišský Hrad) dominates a hilltop in eastern Slovakia. Built in the 12th century, expanded over centuries, it became one of the largest castle complexes in Central Europe—41,000 square meters of fortifications, towers, courtyards, and ruins.

It's a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It's survived Mongol invasions, political upheavals, fires, and centuries of weathering. And on this October night in 2024, it became the perfect foreground for a cosmic visitor passing through.

The juxtaposition is what makes this image work: permanent versus transient. Stone versus ice. Human ambition versus cosmic indifference. A structure built to last centuries watching a phenomenon that won't repeat for millennia.

Remkowicz didn't stumble upon this composition. He planned it. Drove 350 kilometers to get the sightline. Used sky-mapping software to predict where the comet would appear. Checked weather forecasts obsessively. Then set up his Star Adventurer tracking mount, manually focused on stars, ran test exposures, and refined the framing until the castle and comet aligned perfectly.

Image Details:

• Location / Date: Slovakia • October 2024
• Camera / Lens: Canon EOS R • Sigma Art 40 mm
• Exposures: 60 × 40 s (total 40 minutes) • ISO 100
• Mount: Sky-Watcher Star Adventurer (star-tracking head)
• Method: Tripod, manual focus on a star
• Processing: PixInsight & Photoshop

The Astrography Promise: Artistry in the Stars

At Astrography, we believe the best astrophotography is more than a technical achievement; it's a work of art that tells a story. We search for those rare images that capture a perfect union of the heavens and the Earth. This photograph is the embodiment of that philosophy. It's not just a picture of a comet; it's a complete narrative, a testament to a photographer's passion, and a beautiful piece of history you can now own.

For Those Who Cherish a Moment

• Comet chasers: you saw this comet—whether with binoculars, camera, or naked eye—this is your memory. The comet of 2024. The one everyone talked about. The one that won't return for 80,000 years. Now framed above one of Europe's most dramatic castles.
• People who missed it: October 2024 came and went. Maybe clouds blocked your view. Maybe you didn't know where to look. Maybe you didn't even know there was a bright comet. This print gives you the event you missed—captured with 40 minutes of careful exposure, not a quick smartphone snap.
• History and astronomy lovers: Here's what's rare—finding someone equally passionate about medieval castles AND comets. This image speaks to both. Eight centuries of human architecture watching a visitor from the Oort Cloud. Past and present. Permanence and transience. All in one frame.
• Astro-landscape photography collectors: This is the genre at its best—careful planning, technical execution, artistic composition. Not just "comet over generic landscape" but this specific castle under this specific comet at this specific moment.
• Gift seekers wanting something unique: Everyone can Google "comet photo." Very few images combine historical landmarks with astronomical events this effectively. This is the gift that makes someone stop and really look—then ask questions about both the comet and the castle.

Two Formats, One Cosmic Moment

A moment this special deserves to be preserved for generations. Which medium do you prefer?

• Fine Art Print (200+ year lifespan): Museum-grade archival paper with pigments tested for centuries of colorfastness. Investment-quality printing that preserves both the comet's delicate tail detail and the castle's dramatic silhouette. When this comet returns in 80,000 years, your print will still look exactly like this.
• Poster Print: Same stunning composition, same careful processing, accessible pricing. Perfect for students, first apartments, anyone who wants October 2024's comet above an 800-year-old castle without the fine-art investment.

Both formats ship ready to frame. We handle the challenging dynamic range—from the bright comet head to the subtle tail structure to the dark castle profile. You just decide where it hangs.

The comet is gone, but the memory can be yours forever. Add this historic photograph to your collection today.