About Comet c 2023 a3
Tsuchinshan-ATLAS as seen from the International Space Station. (Matthew Dominick/X) In January 2023, a new comet was discovered. Comets are found regularly, but astronomers quickly realised this one, called C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS), had the potential to be quite bright.Some hyperbolic reports have suggested it might be the "comet of the century", but any astronomer will tell you the brightness of comets is notoriously hard to predict. As I explained last year, we'd have to wait until it arrived to be sure how bright it would become.Now, the time has come. Comet C/2023 A3 is currently visible with the naked eye in the morning sky in Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand, with its best yet to come in the next few weeks.And it does look promising. It's unlikely to be the comet of the decade (never mind the comet of the century), but it will almost certainly become the best comet of the year.So where, and when, should you look to get your best views of this celestial visitor?So far Comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS looks like a fuzzy star to the naked eye looking out the cupola windows. But with a 200mm, f2 lens at 1/8s exposure you can really start to see it. This comet is going to make for some really cool images as it gets closer to the sun. For now a… pic.twitter.com/JstaSLJ4Ui— Matthew Dominick (@dominickmatthew) September 19, 2024A show in the morning, before sunriseAt the moment, comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS) is a morning object, rising around an hour and a half before sunrise. It is visible to the naked eye, but not yet spectacular. However, with binoculars you can easily see the comet's dusty tail pointing away from the Sun.The comet will remain at about the same altitude in the morning sky until around September 30. It will then get closer to the horizon on each consecutive morning until it's lost in the glare of the approaching dawn by October 6 or 7.If you want to spot the comet in the morning sky, look east. The sliders below will help you orient yourself and choose the best time to look, depending on your latitude.During this period, the comet should slowly brighten. It reaches its closest approach to the Sun (perihelion) on September 27, when it will be 58 million kilometres from our star.As it swings around the Sun, it will continue to approach Earth, and so should continue to brighten. The best show in the morning sky will likely be during the last couple of days of September and the first few days in October, before the comet is lost to view.A potential daylight cometThanks to pure good fortune, comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS) will then pass almost directly between Earth and the Sun on October 9 and 10.This could cause a spectacular brightening of the comet, thanks to "forward scattering" caused by its dust. Imagine looking towards a bright light source through a cloud of dust grains. The grains nearest to the light source will scatter light from the
Key features of the Comet c 2023 a3 that are enabled through these drivers include:
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Updated October 1, 2024 8:41am EDT Stream FOX 35 News: ORLANDO, Fl - If you’ve seen the stunning sunrise photos from Florida’s beaches lately, you might have noticed something extra special. Early risers are capturing the beauty of Comet A3 (C/2023 A3), hovering across the dawn sky. This rare comet, discovered in January 2023, is putting on an unforgettable show—one that’s only going to get better as we move into mid-October. When to See It The prime viewing window is now through October, with the comet’s closest approach to the Sun happening around October 12, 2024. If you want to catch it at its best, plan to head out before sunrise during the next couple of weeks. This is when the comet will likely be at its brightest due to increased solar heating, causing more gas and dust to be released from its surface, making the coma and tail more prominent. Where to Look Face east, just before dawn. You’ll want to find an open area like a beach, where you can see the horizon without any obstructions. It'll appear about where trees would otherwise block it. The comet will be low in the sky, and as the days pass, it’ll become easier to spot with the naked eye as it rises. How to See It Start your search about 45 minutes before sunrise, when the sky is still dark enough to see the comet’s glow. A good pair of binoculars will bring out more detail, especially its shimmering tail. You don’t need a telescope—just clear skies, binoculars, and patience. Credit: John Winkopp (SpaceCoastPictures @John_Winkopp on X) Comets Are Unpredictable Comets can be tricky. They don’t always follow the playbook, and every now and then, they surprise us by putting on historically spectacular shows with little or no warning. This
