A rare comet, C/2023 A3 Tsuchinshan-Atlas, made a once-in-80,000-year appearance in the North Texas sky this weekend, passing within 44 million miles of Earth on Saturday. The comet, discovered in 2023 by observers at China’s Tsuchinshan Observatory, is visible from the United States and will be seen in the western sky after sunset until about Oct. 26, as long as the skies are clear.
Although comets are leftovers from the solar system’s formation and are composed of ice, dust, rock, and gases, they do not pose a threat to Earth. The orbit of C/2023 A3 is well-known, and based on orbital calculations, astronomers believe it could be another 80,000 years before the comet is visible again if it survives its voyage around the solar system.
Some comets, like C/2024 S1 ATLAS, may not survive close encounters with the Sun due to radiation and gravitational forces that could disintegrate them. However, Tsuchinshan-Atlas did not suffer this fate.
The information in this article comes from FOX 4 and FOX Weather. People who missed the comet this weekend still have a chance to see it throughout the month, providing a rare opportunity to witness a celestial event that won’t occur again for thousands of years.
Source
Photo credit www.fox4news.com