A BRIGHT comet will be visible to the naked eye for the first time in 80,000 years this week.
Comet C/2023 A3, also known as Tsuchinshan-ATLAS, is expected to reach peak brightness between 27 September and 2 October.
It’s long tail of dust and ice will be illuminated by the sun thanks to its orientation in the inner solar system, meaning it will be more visible to stargazers on Earth.
It’s possible comet A3 may have two tails, one whiteish and one blueish.
Some astronomers believe it could be as bright as the 20 brightest stars in the night sky.
Comet A3 comes from the Oort Cloud, a giant shell around our solar system that hosts millions of comets and other icy pieces of debris.
The space rock was discovered only in January 2023, by astronomers at China’s Tsuchinshan Observatory and South Africa’s Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System (ATLAS) telescope.
While the peak will last until 2 October, the comet will disappear from view on 30 September for those in midnorthern latitudes due to the light of dawn.
But those close to the equator should still be able to see C/2023 A3 until 2 October.
If you fail to see it this week – fear not.
There may be more chances to witness the once-in-a-lifetime flyby during clear evenings in mid-October.
Where and when to see the comet in UK & US
Experts reckon it will be a challenging observation – but not impossible.
It will be visible low on the horizon an hour before sunrise during its peak.
The comet will then inch closer to the horizon with each passing morning.
The peak isn’t the only time for folks in the UK and the US to spot the rare display.
Stargazers in the UK and the US will likely have their best chance to see comet A3 in post-sunset skies around 12 October.
This is when it will have re-emerged from the sun’s glare and reach its closest proximity to Earth – at a safe distance of roughly 44million miles.
Comet A3 will be in the constellation Ophiuchus above the west-facing horizon.
You can download an astronomy app to help you find Ophiuchus in the sky.
While the comet should be visible to the naked eye, it never hurts to be prepared for a dimmer display.
It could be wise to have a good pair of stargazing binoculars or a small telescope to hand to enhance the view.
What's the difference between an asteroid, meteor and comet?
Here's what you need to know, according to Nasa...
- Asteroid: An asteroid is a small rocky body that orbits the Sun. Most are found in the asteroid belt (between Mars and Jupiter) but they can be found anywhere (including in a path that can impact Earth)
- Meteoroid: When two asteroids hit each other, the small chunks that break off are called meteoroids
- Meteor: If a meteoroid enters the Earth’s atmosphere, it begins to vapourise and then becomes a meteor. On Earth, it’ll look like a streak of light in the sky, because the rock is burning up
- Meteorite: If a meteoroid doesn’t vapourise completely and survives the trip through Earth’s atmosphere, it can land on the Earth. At that point, it becomes a meteorite
- Comet: Like asteroids, a comet orbits the Sun. However rather than being made mostly of rock, a comet contains lots of ice and gas, which can result in amazing tails forming behind them (thanks to the ice and dust vaporizing)
