This is a special week for stargazers. Comet C/2023 A3, otherwise known as Comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS, is set to pass by. It is not just any comet sighting; this is expected to be the best and most visible of the whole year.
Originally spotted back in January 2023, the comet has been on a journey into the inner Solar System. Now, it is becoming visible in a few parts of the world and, depending on brightness levels, could be a real spectacle.
In fact, while the comet is already viewable from a few countries in the Southern Hemisphere, it is expected to get brighter over the next week.
How and where to view the comet
There are currently two periods where the Comet will be viewable, with the first coming up fast.
On 27 September, the comet will reach its brightest stage as it comes close to the Sun. Sadly, the best way to see it is by getting up early. It will be at its most visible roughly one hour before sunrise.
This means the best time to see the comet will be around 6am local time across the UK and US.
The comet should then remain visible through to 2 October, but will be getting harder to view each day.
At this point, the comet will then disappear. But, not all hope is lost. It will be coming back around 12 October when it should be even brighter. However, comets are notoriously difficult to predict and a variety of factors can impact its visibility.
While you don’t need anything to see the Comet, a telescope or some binoculars will make it easier to see. Comet A3 could be hard to make out in the sky, even on its clearest days.
What is Comet A3?
Comet A3 comes from the Oort Cloud (sometimes known as the Öpik–Oort cloud). It’s thought to be a vast cloud of icy pieces of space debris the size of mountains. Surrounding our solar system, the Oort cloud is thought to include billions, or even trillions, of objects.
The comet was first spotted in January 2023. It was discovered by the Tsuchinshan Observatory, before later being identified by the South African ATLAS telescope. It was given the nickname Comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS based on these discoveries.
The comet visits the inner solar system roughly every 80,000 years, making this quite literally a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
What is a comet and why can we see them from Earth?
If cartoons are to be believed, comets are huge flaming balls of rock hurtling through space taking out everything in their path. The truth is slightly less dramatic but just as interesting.
Comets are often referred to as “dusty snowballs”. This is because they consist of an ice and rock centre, surrounded by a cloud of gas and dust. Considered leftovers from the formation of our Solar System, the majority of them come from the Oort Cloud.
Every so often, one of these comets makes its way through the Solar System, trailing a bright tail in its wake. This is what we see when a comet passes by Earth, just like with Comet A3.
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