Yesterday, Ukrainians had the opportunity to see a rare astronomical phenomenon in the evening sky – Comet ATLAS (also known as C/2023 A3 or Tsuchinshan-ATLAS). The space object approached the Earth at a minimum distance of about 70 million kilometers. Scientists call it the brightest in the last 13 years, which made it possible to follow the comet with the naked eye.
Those who missed this spectacle should not be upset, because Comet ATLAS will appear in the evening sky for about two more weeks. And in the coming days – until October 15 – the visibility will be the best. Let’s take a look at the best ways to observe this celestial object.
Comet ATLAS is visible to the naked eye in the Northern Hemisphere, so Ukrainians are lucky this time. It appears in the western part of the sky in the evening after sunset. It is best to observe it at about 7 pm. Within an hour, the comet will disappear from the sky, so it is better not to delay the observation, if weather conditions allow. It is best to observe the comet in regions with little light pollution – outside of large cities. Although even in Kyiv, the comet is clearly visible if clouds do not interfere.
After perihelion, the comet’s brightness is expected to gradually drop to 3rd magnitude. By the end of October, it may be completely indistinguishable to the naked eye, so you will need to use binoculars and a telescope to observe it in the future.
Comet C/2023 A3 was discovered in early 2023 at the Tsuchinshan Observatory, and later with the help of the ATLAS telescope in South Africa. Hence its name. Astronomers have characterized Tsuchinshan-ATLAS as a possible great comet, which is the name given to objects that are particularly bright and visible from Earth. It approached the Sun to a minimum distance of 58.5 million km on September 27, 2024. At that time, it could be observed in the Southern Hemisphere.
It is worth noting that comet C/2023 A3 approached the interior of the Solar System and the Earth for the first time in human history. But this may also be its last visit. Scientists have speculated that the comet could split into smaller objects during this passage. Its volatile and icy composition will not be able to withstand the intense heat of the Sun, although it has withstood these tests more or less unscathed. However, in the future, it may be ejected outside the solar system due to the gravitational influence of other objects and its own weak connection to the solar system.
Source: NASA