As a gamer with a deep-rooted fascination for the cosmos and an unquenchable thirst for the unknown, I must say that the recent discovery of comet C/2023 A3 Tsuchinshan-ATLAS has sent my heart soaring and my curiosity spiraling into the vast expanse of space. Having spent countless hours in virtual galaxies, I’ve always yearned to witness such celestial events with my own eyes.
“Aliens Abducted my Family and Now I’m Alone in the Cosmos” (now streaming on Peacock) opens with an extraterrestrial missing persons case. A young boy’s parents mysteriously disappear within minutes of each other as a fictional comet, Jesper, passes overhead. Ten years later, that boy (Jacob Buster) believes his parents were taken by aliens trailing the comet’s tail, and he is determined to reunite with them when the comet reappears. Soon, stargazers will have an opportunity to observe the recently discovered comet C/2023 A3 Tsuchinshan-ATLAS, a sighting that won’t be repeated for another 80,000 years.
A comet similar to the imaginary Jesper is categorized as a Jupiter family comet, so named because their orbits approximately reach that of Jupiter. Most comets, however, are located at greater distances. Many have nearly circular orbits confining them in the outermost parts of our solar system, but some find themselves in elongated orbits that carry them between deep space and our vicinity.
Regardless of their origin, all comets share similar compositions – large conglomerations of ice and dust remnants from the solar system’s formation. As they near the Sun, they heat up and release gas, which forms a coma around their nucleus and an extended tail pointing away from the Sun.
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What kind of comet is C/2023 A3 Tsuchinshan-ATLAS?
Beyond those near Jupiter, comets generally fall into two primary categories: short-lived and long-lasting ones. The former complete their orbits within 200 years. One well-known short-lived comet is named after Edmond Halley, which reappears approximately once in a human lifetime, every 76 years. Interestingly, Mark Twain was born when Halley’s comet was visible in the sky in 1835, and he passed away during its next appearance in 1910, aligning with his prediction that he would arrive and depart along with the comet as well.
Short-duration comets are adored due to their timescales that align with our perception, even if they’re not common occurrences. In contrast, long-duration comets reside in an entirely different realm. These celestial bodies hail from the Oort Cloud, a massive ice and dust sphere that extends up to 2 light-years away from the Sun. Long-duration comets have orbital durations spanning tens of thousands of years or more. It is from this distant region that the comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS is believed to originate.
In 2023, a comet was initially spotted – by astronomers at the Purple Mountain Observatory in China and an ATLAS telescope in South Africa. Given its dual discovery sites, the comet received its name from both observatories. Its path through our solar system suggests it makes the journey to the inner solar system only once every 80,000 years. Since human civilization began, this particular comet, Tsuchinshan-ATLAS, may have passed by Earth only three or four times.
On September 27, 2024, the comet will make its closest point to the Sun (perihelion). There was uncertainty whether the comet would withstand this passage since comets often disintegrate due to heat and gravitational force. However, Tsuchinshan-ATLAS managed to endure. Now, it’s headed back towards deep space. During its journey, it will come near Earth on October 12, sitting approximately 44 million miles away from us.
How to See the Comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS
Currently, the comet is hidden behind the Sun’s brightness, but it won’t be long before it becomes visible in the Northern Hemisphere, just above the sunset horizon. If you look towards the western sky, about 10 degrees up from the horizon, between the constellations of Sagittarius and Scorpio, that’s where you’ll find it.
According to NASA, the Tsuchinshan-ATLAS comet is anticipated to be as brilliant as Jupiter and visible to the naked eye throughout October and into early November. Despite its small size of approximately 2 miles in diameter, its tail will extend for countless miles across space. Unlike shooting stars that quickly flash across the sky, comets seem stationary, moving their apparent position night after night rather than second by second. If you find it difficult to spot the comet in the coming days, visibility should improve as the comet ascends higher into the sky.
For about two weeks, the comet should be visible without any special equipment; however, using binoculars or a small telescope can provide a more stunning view. If you missed Halley’s Comet in 1986 and don’t want to wait until 2061 for another sighting, this is a rare opportunity for an extraordinary astronomical event that doesn’t occur often.
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2024-10-10 23:46