A comet that hasn’t been seen in more than 80,000 years will be visible from Earth at two different times next month.
Comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS, also known as Comet A3, is believed to have been orbiting the Sun for over 80,000 years. According to Earth.com.
The comet was first seen on September 27th and will continue until just before sunrise on October 2nd. It is expected to have a tail stretching across the sky like a fuzzy ball.
“C/2023 A3 has an orbital period of approximately 80,000 years, which qualifies it as a long-period comet. This means that its behavior and appearance can be unpredictable, with possible changes in brightness and tail growth as it approaches the Sun,” said Minchae Kim, astrophysicist at Warwick University’s Department of Astronomy. , told earth.com.
SpaceX has launched a mission to the space station to retrieve stranded NASA astronauts next year.
Comet C2023 A3 Tsuchinshan-Atlas is seen at dawn on September 28 over mountains near the village of Aguas Blancas in Lavalleja Department, Uruguay. (Getty Images)
“If the predictions are there, it will be visible to the naked eye and the tail will appear as a faint star in the sky. If not, binoculars or a small telescope can reveal more details about the comet’s structure and tail,” Kim added.
September 27 marks the perihelion or setting point for the Sun, after which the comet begins its journey to the outer Solar System. According to WKMG.
Comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS) appears in the sky over Molpetta, Italy on September 28, 2024. (Getty Images)
If the comet survives its trip around the Sun, another viewing opportunity expected to have better visibility will be in mid-October, as comets often break up as they pass closer to the Sun.
If the comet survives its journey around the Sun, the comet will be closest to Earth and visible to the naked eye, with its best visibility expected between October 12 and October 20.
A geomagnetic storm expected to hit Earth following the autumnal equinox
Comet C2023 A3 Tsuchinshan-Atlas can be seen at dawn on September 28, 2024 over the mountains near the village of Aguas Blancas in the Department of Lavalleja, Uruguay. (Getty Images)
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The comet will move higher in the sky each night until it disappears for the next 80,000 years.
Starwalk, an astronomy app for stargazers, called the comet “the most anticipated comet of the year.”
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