A new comet named A11bP71 was discovered on September 27 by the Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System (ATLAS), shining brightly as it surpassed Venus, creating a dazzling display in the night sky.
According to the Hanoi Astronomy Society (HAS), the comet C/2023 A3 is rapidly increasing in brightness. Currently, this comet has an apparent magnitude of 1.7 and is located in the area of the zodiac constellation Leo.
The first week of October presents a final opportunity to observe C/2023 A3 in the morning sky. After this period, it will be obscured by sunlight for a while before returning to the evening sky after October 12, providing a much more impressive display.
Bright comets lighting up the sky are fascinating astronomical phenomena.
Following C/2023 A3, another comet is expected to light up the sky at the end of October. Specifically, a new comet named A11bP71 was discovered on September 27 by the Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System (ATLAS). Initial calculations suggest that it is a member of the Kreutz sungrazer family (comets with orbits that come very close to the Sun and experience extremely high temperatures at perihelion). It is anticipated that this comet will reach its perihelion on October 28 and could achieve an apparent magnitude of -6, making it about three times brighter than Venus.
As a relatively new comet, its orbital characteristics are still unclear. It could potentially end in a collision with the Sun or, if no collision occurs, it may disintegrate shortly after perihelion.
During its journey to perihelion, the comet can be well observed from the Southern Hemisphere, while from the Northern Hemisphere, only part of its tail may be visible. If it survives perihelion, A11bP71 could even be seen in the daytime sky right next to the bright disc of the Sun before it moves further north, allowing for observations after perihelion in the Northern Hemisphere.
