"Tsuchinshan Atlas" passes by What you need to do if you want to see the comet
Passing comets are rarely observable with the naked eye: Tsuchinshan-Atlas is now approaching. The best view of it should be in mid-October - if you know where to look.
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- With a bit of luck, the comet "Tsuchinshan Atlas" can be seen with the naked eye in mid-October.
- Passing comets are rarely observable with the naked eye.
- From around October 11, the visitor should be easily visible to the naked eye from Switzerland.
- You should have a clear view to the west at dusk, preferably from a dark location.
- In Switzerland, several observatories will open their doors on Astronomy Day on October 19 and will also help with the observation of Tsuchinshan Atlas.
The cosmic visitor comes from the far reaches of the solar system and will soon be easily observable from Switzerland with the naked eye. The comet Tsuchinshan Atlas - also known as C/2023 A3 - is currently approaching Earth. Its observation is still more for experienced amateur astronomers. From the beginning of the week and until the weekend, they could spot the celestial body in the east shortly before sunrise, with visibility improving from day to day.
This is because the comet is getting closer: according to experts, it will disappear from the morning sky from October 5 or 6 and pass close to the sun for a few days before reappearing in the evening sky.
From around October 11, the visitor should be easily visible to the naked eye from German-speaking countries - and you should have a clear view to the west at dusk, preferably from a dark location. Because the comet has just passed the sun and is therefore vaporizing a lot of material, its tail could be particularly pronounced.
When and how can I see the comet best?
The best time to see it is probably between October 12 and 14. On the 13th, the comet's orbit reaches its closest point to the Earth at a distance of around 70 million kilometers - this corresponds to just under half the distance between the Earth and the Sun. In Switzerland, several observatories will open their doors on Astronomy Day on October 19 and will also help visitors to observe Tsuchinshan-Atlas.
From November, the visitor will probably no longer be able to see it with the naked eye. However, the experts cannot predict with complete certainty how good the observability will actually be.
Where did the comet come from?
Tsuchinshan Atlas was discovered in early 2023 - the name comes from the telescopes in China and South Africa that first spotted it. The celestial body is one of the non-periodic comets that - if at all - only come close to the Earth again after long periods of time. The visitor comes from the Oort Cloud, a spherical collection of objects at the outermost edge of the solar system. The last time comet Neowise (C/2020 F3) was as bright as Tsuchinshan Atlas was in summer 2020.
