Grab your glasses, your binoculars or your telescopes: comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan–ATLAS for short) will be visible to the naked eye in the Quebec sky this evening.
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The comet was first seen in February 2023 by the Purple Mountain Observatory (Tsuchinshan) in China and the ATLAS system in South Africa, while it was beyond the orbit of Jupiter, about 1090 million kilometers from the Sun.
Tsuchinshan–ATLAS, which was only visible in the southern hemisphere, has since come to an end. So much so that it will pass some 70 million kilometers from Earth.
Some experts call it the “comet of the century.” It would be up to 100 times brighter than its peers.
The comet could also have “a remarkable tail which could constitute a magnificent spectacle in the sky”, according to the Astronomical Society of the Planetarium of Montreal (SAPM).
Where can we observe it?
To see the comet, look westward at sunset (and for an hour). Take out your binoculars to enjoy the Tsuchinshan-ATLAS passage!
Obviously, the sky will obviously have to be clear to be able to admire it.
AFP
Comet C2023 A3 Tsuchinshan-Atlas is seen in the sky of Uruguay at dawn on September 28, 2024.
What is a comet?
Comets are a bit like “dirty cosmic snowballs,” explains the Canadian Space Agency (CSA). They are made of ice, frozen gases, rocks and dust.
They can measure from a few hundred meters to several tens of kilometers in diameter.
Comets are usually frozen. As they approach the Sun, ice and frozen gases vaporize and form what is called a tail behind them, making them more visible from Earth.
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