Get ready for a celestial treat this October as Comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan–ATLAS) makes its closest approach to Earth.
Early risers with telescopes/binoculars might have already caught a glimpse of the comet in the morning sky as its orbit brings it closer to Earth. Appearing brighter as it approaches, the comet is predicted to be visible to the naked eye in the evenings between 11 and 19 October 2024.
Image credit: PixaBay
About comets
1. What is a comet?
Comets are icy bodies of frozen gases, rocks, and dust left over from the solar system’s formation about 4.6 billion years ago.
They revolve around the Sun in highly elliptical orbits that can take hundreds of thousands of years to complete.
2. What do comets look like?
Comets appear as fuzzy stars in the sky. This ‘fuzzy’ appearance can be attributed to the sublimation of solid ice to gas on the comet’s surface as it approaches the Sun.
Comets are also known for their characteristic tails, which are formed by the release of gas and dust during the sublimation process. They commonly have two tails, with one tail formed by gases and the other formed by dust.
About Comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan–ATLAS)
1. Who discovered Comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan–ATLAS)?
Comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan–ATLAS) was discovered in 2023 by the purple mountain observatory (Tsuchinshan observatory) in China and the Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System (ATLAS).
2. What is the Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System (ATLAS)?
ATLAS is an asteroid impact early warning system developed by the University of Hawaii and funded by NASA. It consists of four telescopes (two in Hawaii, one in Chile, and one in South Africa), which automatically scan the whole sky several times every night looking for moving objects.
3. What is Comet C/2023 A3’s path?
Comet C/2023 A3’s orbit is bringing it closer to Earth, with the comet appearing brighter as it approaches. The comet will be closest to Earth on 12 October.
4. Why is Comet C/2023 A3 a cause for excitement?
There is a strong chance that Comet C/2023 A3 can be seen with the naked eye this month, when it is closest to Earth.
5. When will the comet be visible from Singapore?
Comet C/2023 A3 is currently visible at around 5.30am in the mornings when the skies are dark. Observers will need unobstructed views of the eastern sky and telescopes/binoculars to see it.
The comet will reappear in the evening sky on 11 October and is expected to be at its brightest and most visible then. It is predicted to be visible to the naked eye between 11 October and 19 October. After which, the comet will gradually become dimmer as it moves further from Earth.
To catch Comet C/2023 A3, observers should look towards the western skies just after sunset. You can use a stargazing app for the exact viewing window as it will change daily.
6. Will the Science Centre Observatory (SCOB) hold a viewing session for Comet C/2023 A3?
The Science Centre Observatory (SCOB) will host a virtual viewing session of Comet C/2023 A3 on Thursday, 17 October from 7.00 – 8.00pm (weather permitting). The livestream will be available on the Science Centre Singapore YouTube channel. Please look out for further updates on the SCOB Facebook page. No in-person viewing sessions will be held at the Science Centre Observatory.
Contributed by Science Centre Observatory.
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