Tsuchinshan-ATLAS: How to see once in a lifetime comet in UK skies this week
Comet-watchers in the UK should get a glimpse of Tsuchinshan-ATLAS from Friday this week.
A comet will pass Earth this week which hasn't been seen on our planet for 80,000 years.
Star-gazers could catch a glimpse of Tsuchinshan-ATLAS, also known as comet C/2023 A3, from Friday to Monday.
The comet, described as resembling a "fuzzy" star with a "misty" tail, will be below the moon and "very low" in the east, according to amateur astronomer Stuart Atkinson.
Tsuchinshan-ATLAS is in the constellation of Sextans, with The Sky Live reporting it at a distance of 96,844,767.6 miles (155,856,545.6 km) from Earth, as of 5pm on Tuesday (September 24).
It is approaching our planet all the time at a speed of about 150,000 miles per hour and is expected to reach perihelion on Friday (September 27).
Perihelion is when a comet is at its brightest point, meaning earthlings will have the best chance to view it at the end of this week.
Comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS) is finally here ! ☄️✨I captured this image this morning at 09:22 UTC from @LCOAstro in Atacama desert in Chile ???????????? The view was absolutely spectacular ! The clouds were constantly moving just above the horizon, but we got really lucky when the… pic.twitter.com/AoClHkatFr
— Yuri Beletsky (@YBeletsky) September 24, 2024
By Friday, the comet should be 36.4 million miles (58.6 million km) from the Sun.
Experts say we should also be able to see the comet each morning from Saturday to Monday, though its position will be different.
On those days the best time to see C/2023 A3 will be 40 minutes before dawn, at about 6.15am in the UK.
University of Warwick space expert Minjae Kim told MailOnline the comet will be visible as a "pre-dawn" object.
He said C/2023 A3 has an orbital period of about 80,000 years, meaning its behaviour and appearance can be unpredictable.
There is the potential for changes in its brightness and tail development as the comet approaches the sun.
NASA astronaut Matthew Dominick posted a mesmerising timelapse clip of Tsuchinshan-ATLAS from his vantage point onboard the International Space Station.
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So far Comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS looks like a fuzzy star to the naked eye looking out the cupola windows. But with a 200mm, f2 lens at 1/8s exposure you can really start to see it. This comet is going to make for some really cool images as it gets closer to the sun. For now a… pic.twitter.com/JstaSLJ4Ui
— Matthew Dominick (@dominickmatthew) September 19, 2024
Dr Kim said: "If predictions hold, it could be visible to the naked eye, appearing as a fuzzy star with a tail stretching across the sky.
"Otherwise, binoculars or a small telescope may reveal more detail in the comet's structure and tail."
He added that the comet should also be visible between October 10-20. This should be at sunset.
The comet’s name derives from the two observatories which discovered it independently of each other.
The first is China's Zijinshan Astronomical Observatory and the second, is South Africa's Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System (ATLAS).