Upcoming Nightly Sightings of Comets for Stargazers
Comet Tsuchinshan-Atlas is making its way towards Earth. Over the next few days, stargazers will have the opportunity to view it without the aid of telescopes, as it gets closer and brighter.
The German Astronomical Society has predicted that this cosmic spectacle can be observed from the western horizon during the evening of this week. By the following day and in the nights to follow, the comet, also known as C/2023 A3, will become more prominent.
The comet's tail can be seen with the naked eye in the initial days. However, astrologer Pilz suggests, "Definitely with binoculars." The celestial object will approach the sun in the first part of October until the 11th, before moving towards the southwest and gradually decreasing in brightness.
According to Pilz, the sighting with just the eyes ends around October 25th, possibly lasting a few more days for experienced stargazers under a dark sky. From November onwards, the visitor is unlikely to be visible to the naked eye, although prediction of actual observability is not entirely precise, as reported by the Haus der Astronomie in Heidelberg.
Comet unlikely to make a return
The comet was first spotted by an observatory in China on January 9, 2023. On October 13 of the current year, the comet will reach its closest point to Earth, approximately 70 million kilometers away - roughly half the distance from Earth to the sun.
Tsuchinshan-Atlas is classified as a non-periodic comet, which tends to approach Earth's vicinity less frequently and only after extended periods. "In the foreseeable future, Tsuchinshan-Atlas is unlikely to return," according to the Haus der Astronomie. The celestial visitor originates from the Oort cloud, a spherical collection of objects situated at the solar system's outermost frontier.
A similar brightness was seen in the summer of 2020 with the comet Neowise (C/2020 F3). Comets have also figured in space missions, such as the European Space Agency's "Rosetta," which studied the comet Churyumov-Gerasimenko.
After the initial days, viewing the comet might require binoculars due to its increased brightness. Regardless, the German Astronomical Society emphasizes the importance of education about stargazing and understanding the celestial events, as the sight of Tsuchinshan-Atlas will likely inspire many.
