Comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS set to dazzle night sky in October
An astronaut aboard the International Space Station captured an extraordinary spectacle. Soon, we might be able to observe it with the naked eye from Earth!
9:56 AM EDT, September 23, 2024
A special treat awaits astronomy enthusiasts and more. If the scientists' optimistic predictions come true, we will be able to see an extraordinary phenomenon in the sky in October. On October 9 around dusk, the Tsuchinshan-ATLAS comet may appear in the sky. It is expected to be one of the brightest objects in the night sky, and, at first glance, it might look like a bright star, but we should also be able to see its tail.
The Tsuchinshan-ATLAS comet is expected to be closest to our planet on October 12. After that, it will move away from Earth towards the Solar System's outer reaches. The chances of observing it with the naked eye — if we are lucky — will be until October 19, when it will appear low in the evening sky for the last time.
Although the comet may be visible to the naked eye in the first half of October, someone has already captured this extraordinary object on video. Astronaut Matthew Dominick recorded Tsuchinshan-ATLAS from the International Space Station. The video published on portal X shows the comet rising above the edge of our planet.
As impressive as the Tsuchinshan-ATLAS itself is, the Earth's atmosphere is also visible in the footage.
A unique discovery for many reasons
The Tsuchinshan-ATLAS comet was observed on February 22, 2023, in the constellation of Leo. This was possible thanks to the ATLAS telescope at the Sutherland Observatory in the Republic of South Africa. Initially, it was suspected to be an asteroid, but further observations confirmed it was a comet. At the time of discovery, it had a brightness of 18.1 magnitude and was located at a distance of about 678 million miles from the Sun.
After accurately calculating the comet's orbit, it turned out that the object had been observed before. On January 9, 2023, the Chinese Purple Mountain Observatory reported the object, which then declared it lost on January 30. Therefore, after subsequent observations, the object was named after both observatories.
The course of the Tsuchinshan-ATLAS comet is on a retrograde orbit, which means it moves in the opposite direction to the vast majority of objects in the Solar System.
