He The comet of the century will soon be visible to the naked eyewe can visualize this element from Earth for a few days. NASA has already warned astronomy lovers that a change of cycle awaits us, which could be crucial and which perhaps had not caught our attention until now. Astronomy is the detail that can end up being what marks a before and after on this path to success that awaits us.
NASA experts are closely monitoring what is happening with this comet, which could change everything completely. We are living in a time of astronomical events, as we see everywhere. From the northern lights to the eclipses that have accompanied us in recent days, we undoubtedly have before us a situation that could become particularly striking. You don’t see a comet every day and even less so when it is very close to Earth. So much so that we will be able to follow its path during these last times that we have before us and that could be decisive.
The comet of the century that will be visible to the naked eye
He which has been nicknamed the comet of the century for its unique characteris closer than it seems. It will eventually become a harsh reality that can accompany us in these days for which we may not be fully prepared. An event of this type deserves our full attention.
We want to visualize this series of changes that we can begin to see coming and for this there is nothing better than looking at the sky. Spending a few minutes contemplating these astronomical events that will end up marking a before and after is essential and you will be able to end up following a series of fundamental details.
It is a season of astronomical events that could be those that accompany us these days. We look at a night sky through which an important comet will pass on very specific dates that, without a doubt, will end up tracing a path for which we may not be completely prepared.
This comet will be visible to the naked eye, something we may not see every day, but it will become a reality in a few days. NASA warns to note these dates and this position in the night sky.
The big astronomical event of the year already has a countdown
Starwalk is the specialized blog that gives us more details about this important comet: “First of all, C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS) will probably be very bright. The future brightness of this comet is unpredictable and largely depends on its activity in the coming months. However, most sources agree on one thing: C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS) is probably visible to the naked eye. If we are lucky, it could become exceptionally bright and even surpass C/2020 F3 (NEOWISE) starting in the summer of 2020. It has been a long time since we have seen a comet this bright, so observers are very excited about C/2023. A3. In addition, C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS) is expected to develop a magnificent cometary tail. After passing close to the Sun at a distance similar to Mercury’s orbit, C/2023 A3’s coma of dust and ice will heat up considerably. As the ice particles evaporate, they will quickly escape into space, carrying with them a large amount of dust that will disperse into a long, bright tail. As history shows, comets that pass close to the Sun have the most impressive tails, formed shortly after being “roasted” by the Sun’s heat. And this is the case with comet C/2023 A3!
Note these dates when you can observe it: “September 18-26: 4.7 to 3.0 mag, appears in the southern hemisphere morning sky, low above the eastern horizon in the constellation Sextans. Requires binoculars (preferably 10×50 or 12×50). Good time to observe the comet’s tail (possibly double tail).
- September 27-October 2: 3.0 to 0.0 mag, reaches closest point to the Sun (perihelion) on September 27, appearing in the morning sky in the Southern Hemisphere and in the Northern Hemisphere (below 40°N). Move from the constellation Sextans to the constellation Leo on September 28. This may be visible to the naked eye.
- October 2-9: 0.0 to -3.0 mag, but too close to the Sun to be visible to the naked eye. It can be observed and photographed with a telescope in the morning with the necessary precautions. The most optimistic forecasts indicate that the comet will exceed magnitude -5.0. If this is the case, it will be visible to the naked eye even in the daytime sky near the Sun.
- October 10-12: -3.0 to -1.0 mag, appears in the evening sky in the northern hemisphere shortly after sunset, very low in the western sky in the constellation Virgo. Short viewing window, but visible to the naked eye! Best time to see the comet. Its closest approach to Earth is on October 12.
- October 13-14: -1.0 to 1.0 mag, rapidly fading, but moving away from the Sun and thus easier to see. Visible to the naked eye at night, about an hour after sunset. On October 14, C/2023 A3 will pass close to another comet, 13P/Olbers (mag 10).
- October 15–19: 1.0–4.5 mag, moves toward Serpens Caput. It may produce an anti-tail – a bright streak that appears to point toward the Sun, away from other tails. On October 15, it will pass within 1.4° of the globular cluster M5, providing a good photographic opportunity.
- October 20-31: Between 4.5 and 7.0 mag, moves at night through the constellation Ophiuchus relatively high in the southwestern sky. Visible with binoculars and telescopes. During these days, the comet’s tail will begin to grow rapidly, possibly reaching as much as 20° longitude (about 40 times the size of the Full Moon) under dark skies.
- November: 7 to 8 mag, visible at night. It reaches its highest point in the northern hemisphere after sunset.
- December: From 8 to 10 mag, gradually moves closer to the Sun in our sky, rising lower above the horizon. Not visible from the southern hemisphere.
