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If the weather is clear, a comet from Holland can be seen this month which comes close to Earth once every 80,000 years, or maybe no more. This is comet C / 2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-Atlas), which will be about 70 million kilometers away from Earth.
The comet is almost 3 kilometers in diameter and the tail of dust and gases stretches for tens of millions of kilometers.
If you want to see the comet, it’s best to look up around sunset. Tonight it is closer to Earth. But the comet is expected to be seen more clearly next week. Then Tsuchinshan-Atlas is closest to the sun.
It seems that the comet was already built in the Netherlands:
The natural phenomenon can be seen with the naked eye, but the American space agency NASA recommends using a telescope or even binoculars. The head of NASA’s meteor service offered some tips during a press conference.
“The comet will not go through the sky like a meteor,” said Bill Cooke. “It will look like it is hanging there, and it will change position slowly from night to night. If you see the comet with your naked eye, with the help of binoculars you will be amazed.”
Astronomers talk about it a unique phenomenon. Due to the comet’s 80,000-year orbit, it would have been last visible during the time of the Neanderthals. Since comets are so invisible, there is also a chance that C/2023 A3 Tsuchinshan-Atlas will never be seen again.
2024-10-12 07:53:00
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