Its technical name – C/2023 A3 Tsuchinshan-ATLAS – is very long, but the nickname that scientists have given it describes what it is: “the comet of the century.”
This luminous cosmic object will enter its best phase of visibility in the sky starting this Saturday. And if someone misses it, they will have to wait 80,000 more years.
This comet was identified last year at the Tsuchinshan-ATLAS observatory in China, hence its name. The Sun entered its closest transit at the end of September.
“Scientists assumed that could disintegrate during that step [por el Sol]since its volatile and icy composition was unable to withstand the intense heat of our parent star, but it survived more or less intact”explained astronomer Bill Cooke in a NASA bulletin.
Now it will pass so close to the Earth, about 70 million kilometers, that it can be seen starting this October 12.
Robert Massey, deputy director of Britain’s Royal Astronomical Society, explains to the BBC that “bright comets are quite rare.”
“So if you get a chance to see one, take a look, even if you have to use binoculars to make out the tail and its features. “They are absolutely beautiful.”
Where and how can it be seen?
Since the end of September, the progress of this comet has been observed from the southern hemisphere close to the horizon line, hence only very clear places have been ideal.
But from the middle of this month, NASA reported, the comet will be able to be seen in clear places on the planet. northern hemisphere a little higher in the sky at twilight or already at night. During the day it will be very little noticeable, according to NASA.
Cooke recommends choosing a dark viewing spot just after dark. Looking towards the southwest, about 10 degrees above the horizonthe Tsuchinshan-ATLAS should be visible between the constellations of Scorpio and Sagittarius.
In the second half of the month, the comet will move in the sky near the star Arcturuswhich is one of the brightest in the night sky, and the planet Venus. There are cell phone applications that allow you to view the position of these constellations, stars and planets.
As in other similar cases, it is preferable to be in a place without light pollution to observe it. Pages such as Light Pollution Map allow you to identify where there is the greatest chance of having a sky free of the lights of urban centers.
In the best conditions, it could be seen with the naked eye. But it is better to have binoculars or a simple telescope.
The Tsuchinshan-ATLAS will only be visible from Earth for the rest of October, because next month it will disappear and will not pass through the neighborhood of the Solar System again for 80,000 years.
Bright comets that are actually visible from Earth they are fewhence the Tsuchinshan-ATLAS has been called the “comet of the century”.
Unlike asteroids, which are made exclusively of rocks, comets are made up of ice, rock and gas.
As they approach the Sun, the heat causes their ice to transform into gases and release dust particles trapped in icewhich is what causes its notable “tail”.
Shortly after its location, in January 2023, there was speculation that it was one of the brightest comets in recent years. The expectation has been fading, but it still has good conditions to be visible.
Some photographers have captured stunning images of its brilliance with long exposure techniques.
According to NASA, in the last 300 years only nine comets have been bright enough to be seen during the daythe last being West in 1976 and Hale-Bopp in 1997.
“The brightness of comets is measured with the same scale we use for stars, a scale that has been used since approximately 150 BC, when it was devised by the ancient scholar Hipparchus and perfected by the astronomer Ptolemy,” NASA explained.
On this logarithmic scale, the lower your log, the more likely it is that the object will be seen clearly, whether with a telescope or with the naked eye.
The brightness of Tsuchinshan-ATLAS is rated between 2 and 4. “For comparison, the brightest visible star in the night sky, Sirius, has a magnitude of -1.46. At its brightest, Venus’ solar reflection has a magnitude of -4. The International Space Station sometimes reaches a relative brightness of -6”.
Massey says we have to be cautious about whether there won’t be one more in the near future that can delight us with its beauty. “Is it going to be the brightest comet of the last 100 years? “I highly doubt it.”.
Comet Neowise, which caused a sensation during the pandemic in 2020, had a brightness that perhaps cannot be surpassed by this month’s.
However, that is no reason to let them pass: “Comets are unpredictable, but we don’t know when the next one will appear, so don’t miss this opportunity”.
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