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Earth's inhabitants have witnessed a rare astronomical event. Comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS), also known as Zǐjīnshān-ATLAS, discovered by the Chinese observatory of the same name in January 2023, is approaching our planet. It is already visible to the naked eye, and through binoculars, its tail spans several degrees. This was reported by the Moscow Planetarium team.
On October 12, 2024, the comet will reach its closest point to Earth, at a distance of about 70 million kilometers. The planetarium stated:
"After its perihelion, by mid-October, this celestial visitor will appear in the evening sky of the entire Northern Hemisphere, including Russia and nearby countries, displaying a bright, long tail of fresh dust released from its nucleus, heated by the Sun’s warmth."
The best viewing conditions in the Northern Hemisphere will begin on October 12 and last for 2-3 weeks. The comet will be visible in the evening sky for about an hour after sunset (starting around 6:30 PM local time) over the western horizon. Astronomers predict its brightness to be around -2 magnitude, allowing the comet to be seen with the naked eye even in bright twilight conditions.
By the end of October, the comet will no longer be visible to the naked eye, and binoculars will be required to see it, eventually progressing to the need for a telescope. The planetarium added:
"There are strong reasons to believe that comet C/2023 A3 Tsuchinshan-ATLAS could become the Great Comet of 2024!"
