The year 2024 holds more exciting astronomical events that sky watchers are preparing to follow, following the total eclipse and recent solar storms.
Residents of Earth will be able to see comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS (C/2023 A3) with the naked eye next October, noting that it is currently traveling between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter and can only be observed through a telescope as it moves between these two orbits.
The newly discovered comet is expected to pass by Earth in October, and by the time it passes near our planet, it may be as bright as Venus in the night sky, the brightest object in the sky, making it visible to the naked eye.
Tsuchinshan-ATLAS has been called the “Comet of the Year,” and it is likely to grow brighter and have a tail, which means that by the time it passes during the fall, the long-period comet with an orbit of 80,000 years may shine brighter in Earth’s night sky than many stars.
Although it may be difficult for Northern Hemisphere residents to track due to its low position on the horizon, the best chance will be at its closest position to the sun on October 10.
It will be easily visible in the Northern Hemisphere. In the Southern Hemisphere, it will be visible immediately after sunset.
The comet will begin to dim around mid-October.
The comet comes from the Oort Cloud, a region surrounding our solar system that is home to millions of comets.
Astronomers discovered the comet in February last year in joint work between the Asteroid Impact Terrestrial Last Warning System (ATLAS) telescope in South Africa and China's Zouchenshan Observatory.
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