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APOD: 2024 September 23 Á Comet Tsuchinshan ATLAS Approaches
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APOD: 2024 September 23 Á Comet Tsuchinshan ATLAS Approaches
Credit & Copyright: Brian Valente & Greg Stein
Explanation: What will happen as this already bright comet approaches? Optimistic predictions have Comet C/2023 A3 (TsuchinshanÁATLAS) briefly becoming easily visible to the unaided eye -- although the future brightness of comets are notoriously hard to predict, and this comet may even break up in warming sunlight. What is certain is that the comet is now unexpectedly bright and is on track to pass its closest to the Sun (0.39 AU) later this week and closest to the Earth (0.47 AU) early next month. The featured image was taken in late May as Comet TsuchinshanÁATLAS, discovered only last year, passed nearly in front of two distant galaxies. The comet can now be found with binoculars in the early morning sky rising just before the Sun, while over the next few weeks it will brighten as it moves to the early evening sky.

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Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff (MTU) & Jerry Bonnell (USRA)
NASA Web Site Statements, Warnings, and Disclaimers
NASA Official: Jay Norris. Specific rights apply.
A service of: LHEA at NASA / GSFC
& Michigan Tech. U.

Based on Astronomy Picture Of the Day

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