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California, United States
This week promises to bring with it several celestial wonders, one of them being Comet C/2023 A3. It is set to pass by Earth and will appear extremely bright.
The comet, also known as Comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS, has been travelling towards the inner solar system and is right now going towards the sun. As it makes its way in, it is getting brighter each day. It can already be spotted from a few countries.
NASA astronauts have already caught a glimpse of the comet from the International Space Station and have clicked some stunning pictures of the icy celestial visitor.
When to watch Comet A3
The comet is currently moving inwards into the solar system. On its way to the sun, it will appear the brightest on September 27. The best time to view it is early in the morning. This means to see the cosmic visitor you'll have to wake up by 4:00 am. It will continue to be visible till at least October 2, although it will not remain as bright.
Also Read: Much-awaited star explosion is finally here. How to watch it and where to look
However, if you miss it this time, don't worry. Comet A3 will pass by Earth again in the coming days. After reaching the sun, it will start its return journey. This is when it will once again cross paths with our planet and make an appearance in our skies one more time. This second stint will be visible on October 12.
During its return trip, it will appear even brighter than the last time.
Do you need special equipment to see the comet?
While the comet should be visible to the naked eye both times, it might be hard to locate it. So consider using a telescope or binoculars to make the viewing easy.
Comet A3 from the ISS
Astronaut Matthew Dominick shared a photo of Comet A3 on September 26 captured from the ISS.
He wrote, "We were discussing the other day how lucky and grateful we are to have seen amazing aurora, a solar eclipse, and a comet in a single trip to the ISS."
The comet’s tail is refracted by earth’s atmosphere right before orbital sunrise.
Canadarm2 is out of focus in the near field.
We were discussing the other day how lucky and grateful we are to have seen amazing aurora, a solar eclipse, and a comet in a single trip to the… pic.twitter.com/wIQmClm7Wb
— Matthew Dominick (@dominickmatthew) September 25, 2024
Earlier, astronaut Don Pettit saw it zipping over Earth's atmosphere on its way to the sun and clicked some beautiful pictures.
It is totally awesome to see a comet from orbit. The perspective of rising through the atmosphere on edge is truly unique from our vantage point. The comet tail is still too dim to see with your eyes, but it is heading towards the sun and growing brighter every day.
This comet… pic.twitter.com/wsrevVpjDv
— Don Pettit (@astro_Pettit) September 22, 2024
About Comet A3
Comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS was discovered in 2023 and moves in a retrograde orbit around the sun, which is in the opposite direction to planets and asteroids. Due to its strange orbit, astronomers believe that it originated in the Oort Cloud, a theoretical region beyond Neptune's orbit.
It is travelling at a speed of 180,000 mph towards the sun. Some reports earlier suggested that the comet will die during its journey, but thankfully for us, this does not seem to be the case.