Earth's sky is about to see a new object as bright as the Morning Star

(NLDO) - The Tsuchinshan–ATLAS object that once confused astronomers was on its way close to Earth.

According to Space.com, the object named C/2023 A3 or Tsuchinshan–ATLAS, was discovered by the Asteroid Impact Last Alert System (ATLAS) in South Africa on February 22, 2023.

Tsuchinshan–ATLAS appeared in the constellation Virgo in May but was too far away to be observed with a telescope - Photo: SPACE

Tsuchinshan–ATLAS was initially thought to be an asteroid, but analysis of more detailed images taken earlier from the Purple Mountain Observatory (Tsuchinshan) in eastern Nanjing, China, revealed it to be a comet.

And it is moving closer to the center of the solar system, which is also closer to Earth.

Comet Tsuchinshan–ATLAS once intrigued astronomers when its orbital eccentricity suggested it was an unprecedented visitor from the Oort cloud, a giant ring-shaped structure filled with icy objects that lies at the edge of the solar system.

Now, the mysterious object is predicted to appear unusually bright in the sky during its close approach to Earth.

It can be easily seen with the naked eye because its brightness is similar to Venus, the planet that people often call the Evening Star and Morning Star.

From late July, Tsuchinshan–ATLAS will begin to shine in the southern hemisphere sky.

People living in locations further south, such as Australia, New Zealand and South America, will be able to watch it begin to "compete" with the Morning Star in the early morning sky, before sunrise.

On October 8, 2024, the comet will reach its maximum brightness, comparable to that of Venus.

The perihelion of this special object is on September 27, while two weeks later, on October 12, it will come closest to Earth at a distance of 71 million km.

During this phase, the comet may brighten to second magnitude or even first magnitude on the comet brightness scale and may develop a noticeable tail, which can create an eye-catching sight in the western evening sky.

Source: https://nld.com.vn/bau-troi-trai-dat-sap-xuat-hien-vat-the-moi-sang-nhu-sao-mai-196240523091005995.htm