Comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS may be one to watch for at dawn late next month.
If predictions and prognostications hold true, a decent comet could grace dawn skies in late September into early October. We’re talking aboutThe comet was discovered jointly by the Tsuchinshan observatory in China and the ATLAS sky survey on January 9, 2023. Later ‘pre-discovery’ images date back to 2022. The comet was discovered 7.2 Astronomical Units out in the outer solar system, beyond the orbit of Jupiter. This always a good sign in terms of how the comet will behave on approach.
We’ll also get a look at Comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS courtesy of the joint solar observing SOHO mission, as it transits the LASCO C3 field of view from October 7. From there, the comet will transition to the evening sky in late October, as it fades back down into binocular visibility range and heads back out of the solar system, perhaps to never return again.It has been a roller coaster ride for the comet in 2024.
“A3 is now sort of on the brightening line to get mostly as bright like predicted, although my own projection shows it peaking more like magnitude +4 to +5 because the trend line is a bit south of the optimum line…” astrophotographer Eliot Herman told. “So it will not be visible at brightest, but…it will be a fine telescopic comet kind of like. That is what I am thinking unless it shatters or splits. I think it is going to fall short of imagination, which is about the norm for comets.
Good luck and clear skies on your quest to see comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS, on what is very probably its one-time only visit to the inner solar system.
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