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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.
Your Sky Surprise:
What picture did APOD feature on your birthday? (post 1995)
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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
Publications with keywords: comet
Publications with words: comet
See also:
- APOD: 2025 February 5 Á Comet G3 ATLAS Setting over a Chilean Hill
- APOD: 2025 February 2 Á Comet G3 ATLAS Disintegrates
- APOD: 2025 January 28 Á Comet G3 ATLAS over Uruguay
- APOD: 2025 January 26 Á The Many Tails of Comet G3 ATLAS
- Comet G3 ATLAS: a Tail and a Telescope
- APOD: 2025 January 21 Á Comet ATLAS over Brasilia
- APOD: 2025 January 20 Á Comet ATLAS Rounds the Sun