What is Comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS)?
On February 22, 2023, the ATLAS telescope, located in South Africa, detected a new faint object that was proven to be a comet . The object has been temporarily designated as A10SVYR . The comet was also captured independently by a telescope at the Purple Mountain Observatory (Zijinshan Astronomical Observatory) on January 9, 2023.
It was added to the list of objects awaiting confirmation, but after no follow-up observations were reported, it was removed on January 30, 2023 and is considered lost. Based on the comet naming system, the comet was given the names of both observatories and was officially named C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS) .
Shortly after its discovery, observations up to December 2022 were found in the Minor Planet Center archives , which gave us a little more information about the comet. It appears to be a long-period comet with an orbital period of 26,000 years . It also appears to have a rather large core.
OC/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS) is currently 7.3 AU from the Sun and is slowly approaching it, becoming brighter. It is predicted to reach peak brightness in late 2024. According to current Minor Planet Center calculations , the comet will reach magnitude 0.3 from October 5 to 7, 2024. In comparison, the recent and popular green comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF) reached a maximum magnitude of 5.3 and the famous NEOWISE (C/2020 F3) peaked at 0.9.
What is the meaning of the name of comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS)?
The comet's name contains data about where and when the comet was first seen:
The letter C indicates a non-periodic comet (that is, it crosses the Solar System only once, or it may take more than 200 years to orbit the Sun);
2023 A3 means that the comet was discovered in 2023, in the first half of January (this corresponds to the letter A in the IAU comet naming system), and that it was the third object of its kind discovered in the same period;
Tsuchinshan-ATLAS means that the discovery was made using telescopes from the Purple Mountain Observatory (Zijinshan Astronomical Observatory) and the Asteroid Earth Impact Latest Warning System (ATLAS).
Best time to observe C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS)
C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS) favors the Northern Hemisphere, where it will be visible to the naked eye in mid-October 2024 . It's difficult to predict the comet's exact brightness — most tend to think it will be roughly 0 to 1 magnitude .
On October 10th , the comet will make its closest approach to the Sun (0.39 AU), and there will be a chance to sight it during the day. Due to the tropospheric scattering effect , C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS) may brighten down to negative magnitude.
After perihelion, C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS) will disappear for a day and reappear in the night sky on October 12, 2024. It will remain a nocturnal object until the end of the month. On October 13, 2024 , it will pass close to Earth (0.48 AU) and should be easily visible at that time. Then the comet will quickly disappear, and by mid-November it will no longer be visible to the naked eye. Observers will only be able to see it with binoculars and telescopes.
Is comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS) visible now?
Right now, C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS) is a faint object of magnitude 18, visible in the second half of the night in the constellation Serpent. In the future, observation conditions will be gradually improving.
The comet will rise earlier and earlier until May 2023, when it will reach a magnitude of 17.5. However, clear summer nights in the Northern Hemisphere will make observations difficult. In June 2023, C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS) will brighten to magnitude 17 and move into the constellation Virgo. As of August 2023, the comet will be barely visible until next February.
C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS) visibility forecast for 2024
Here are some predictions for monthly viewability in 2024 :
January : not visible
February : magnitude 14, visible in the second half of the night;
March : magnitude 13, visible from midnight;
April : magnitude 12, visible at night;
May : magnitude 10 to 11, at night;
June : magnitude 9 to 10, favors the Southern Hemisphere.
Poor observation conditions in the Northern Hemisphere due to clear summer nights and the lower declination of the Sun;
July : 8th to 9th magnitude, still favoring the Southern Hemisphere, nocturnal visibility;
August : magnitude 4 until the end of the month, but very close to the Sun;
September : magnitude 3 to 4, moves away from the Sun and begins to appear in the morning sky in the Southern Hemisphere.
Short observation window, a good opportunity to spot the comet's tail. From September 27th to October 2nd, it appears in the morning in the Northern Hemisphere.
October : the best month for observations in the Northern Hemisphere.
After October, the comet will gradually disappear.
Conclusion
The newly discovered comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS) has great potential and could become visible to the naked eye by mid-October 2024. According to some predictions, it could reach magnitude zero or brighter. While the comet is not currently a prominent object and won't be for at least a year, you can already use the Sky Tonight app to locate C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS) in the sky. You can also rewind time and see the comet's position in your sky in the future.
Text and imagee Credit: Vito Technology, Inc.
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