Comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS), one of the brightest comets for over a decade, is fading out in the night sky. However, a virtual observatory will make it visible to all on YouTube for one final time this Monday.
This long-period comet, also known as a “dirty snowball,” was discovered in January 2023 by astronomers at China’s Tsuchinshan Observatory and South Africa’s ATLAS telescope. It is now visible in the constellation Aquila, 237 million miles from Earth.
The Virtual Telescope Project will broadcast live views of the comet at 17:00 UTC on December 23. According to Gianluca Masi at The Virtual Telescope Project, “comet C/2023 A3 Tsuchinshan-ATLAS has left so many fond memories… We decided to offer a chance to look at this comet once again, perfectly on time with the upcoming Holiday Season!”
Comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS originated from the Oort Cloud, a distant shell of icy objects surrounding the solar system. It takes 80,000 years for it to complete one orbit around the sun and is expected to return in about 40,000 years.
The comet’s brightness was due to its celestial geography. When it passed between the sun and Earth, light diffracted by dust grains in its tail was concentrated towards our planet, making it visible to the naked eye.
Astronomers estimate that only a few dozen comets become visible to the naked eye at any given time. The opportunity to see Comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS is a rare one, and this live broadcast will be a chance for people to witness its final appearance before it fades from view.
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/jamiecartereurope/2024/12/23/a-comet-for-christmas-see-2024s-spectacular-comet-dazzle-one-final-time