How to see 'comet of the century' tonight - it won't be visible for another 80,000 years
Comet A3, also known as Tsuchinshan-ATLAS, is causing huge excitement among astronomers.
An exciting celestial event which only happens every 80,000 years could be spotted by you tonight.
Comet A3, also known as Tsuchinshan-ATLAS, has come to be known as the "comet of the century" by excited astronomers, such is the anticipation about how bright and visible it might be.
From today, the comet will be visible in the northern hemisphere as it comes within 44 million miles of Earth.
If you are hoping to catch a glimpse of the comet, here’s what you need to know.
The comet was discovered in January 2023 by two observatories - China’s Tsuchinshan Observatory and South Africa’s ATLAS observatory. It was named after them both.
Comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS) is Now the Brightest Comet in 13 Years!
— Star Walk (@StarWalk) October 5, 2024
This incredible comet has overtaken NEOWISE from 2020 in brightness, with current estimates of 0.4 magnitude! The tail is stretching a whopping 15 degrees across the sky—that's equal to the width of 30… pic.twitter.com/pyLNTYm8zh
Every 80,000 years, it visits the inner solar system and would last have been visible when Neandethals were alive.
The comet comes from the Oort Cloud which is further away than the planets and asteroids we are used to seeing. It is a spherical shell surrounding our solar system.
From September 27 until October 2, the comet was visible, but you’ll have a better chance to see it from tonight until October 30.
NASA astronomer Bill Cooke said the best approach is to "choose a dark vantage point just after full nightfall and look to the southwest".
He added: "Savour the view" because by early November, the comet will be gone again for the next 800 centuries.
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The comet is not expected to be as bright as some of the others which have been visible in recent years.
To take a good picture of it, you’ll need to be prepared. Using a DSLR camera and the long exposure feature is recommended.
If you’re hoping to take a picture through a mobile phone, you will also need a telescope - you can put your phone against the eyepiece of the telescope and it may work.
Although, if the comet is easy to spot, you can just take the photo normally on your phone. This rare opportunity to catch a glimpse of a major celestial event is not one to be missed.
If you have a story, email me at alycia.mcnamara@reachplc.com
