A newly discovered comet, C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan–ATLAS), might light up the skies in the fall of 2024. The comet was initially thought to be an asteroid when it was discovered by the Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System (ATLAS) in South Africa in February 2023.
However, images captured later revealed a condensed coma and short tail, indicating that it was a comet. As of its discovery, the comet was 680 million miles away from the sun, but it is expected to be only 36 million miles away when it reaches its closest point to the sun in September 2024.
This significant change in solar distance could cause the comet to increase its intrinsic luminosity by 17 magnitudes. However, the actual brightness of the comet when it appears will depend on various factors, including its orbit, the relative locations of the comet, Earth and the sun, and the size and composition of the comet’s nucleus.
Key Takeaways:
- A newly discovered comet, C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan–ATLAS), might become visible in the fall of 2024, but the unpredictable nature of comets makes it uncertain.
- The comet was initially thought to be an asteroid, but was later identified as a comet after images revealed a condensed coma and short tail.
- The brightness of the comet when it becomes visible will depend on several factors including its orbit, the relative locations of the comet, Earth and sun, and the size and composition of the comet’s nucleus.
“A newfound comet might light up the skies in fall of 2024, if we’re lucky. But before focusing on our latest comet discovery, I first want to mention that this month marks the 50th anniversary of the discovery of Comet Kohoutek. As has often been said, the only thing predictable about comets is their unpredictability.”
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