The Tsuchinshan-ATLAS comet, the brightest celestial object in the past decade, is making its appearance in the western sky after sunset until October 28.
The tail of comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS (C/2023 A3) as captured on October 14. (Photo: Chris Schur/Astronomy).
The C/2023 A3 comet, also known as Tsuchinshan-ATLAS, has been visible in the night sky for the past week; however, it has been difficult to observe due to the largest supermoon of 2024. Nevertheless, astronomy enthusiasts still have the opportunity to admire this stunning celestial object from the night of October 18 to October 26.
The bright head and long tail of the Tsuchinshan-ATLAS comet are currently shining at a magnitude of +0.5. This brightness is well within the range of naked-eye observation. Although the comet may have passed its brightest phase, it remains visible to the naked eye in the western sky after sunset until the end of the weekend and potentially through the following week. From late October to early November, a telescope will be necessary to observe this comet.
Simulation of the trajectory of comet C/2023 A3 at the time of its discovery in January 2023. (Photo: Astro Vanbuitenen).
This celestial body was first observed on January 9, 2023, by the Purple Mountain Observatory of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. However, it was not until March 1, 2023, that the Minor Planet Center of the International Astronomical Union (MPC) confirmed it as a comet and designated it C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS).
At that time, C/2023 A3 was approximately 7.3 AU (1.09 billion km) from the Sun, further than the distance to Jupiter, and was moving toward the Sun with rapidly increasing brightness. According to the Purple Mountain Observatory, this celestial body will reach its perihelion on September 28, 2024, at about 0.39 AU (58 million km) from the Sun, making it visible to the naked eye.
