Comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS) | TheSkyLive (2024)

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Above the horizon.Rise:6:00|Tran:11:27|Set:16:54

Alt: 13.45°Az: 241.38°Direction: West-South-West

Comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS) is in the constellation of Sextans,at a distance of 162,521,330.0 kilometers from Earth.The current Right Ascension is 10h 38m 37s and the Declination is -06° 12’ 25”(apparent coordinates).The latest observed magnitude of Comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS) is 3.7 (data provided by COBS).

Map showing Comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS) in Sextans on September, 23 2024. Field of view: 50x30 degrees
View interactive star map

Comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS) was discovered by the Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System (ATLAS) on 22 February 2023 and it was also independently observed few weeks before in January 2023 at the Tsuchinshan Chinese Observatory (Purple Mountain Observatory of the Chinese Academy of Sciences). The official designation includes both Tsuchinshan and ATLAS due to these independent observations.Its retrograde orbit, meaning it moves in the opposite direction to most major solar system objects, is parabolic-like with a perihelion distance of 0.39 astronomical units (AU).Comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS) is notable and actively observed because, based on current estimations, it is could become bright enough to be visible to the naked eye during its perihelion passage between September and October 2024.

The observed values of Magnitude,Coma Diameter and Tail Length are derived from the most recent observation recorded at the Comet Observers Database. The value of Predicted Magnitudecomes from the JPL Horizons ephemerides service and, in the case of comets, might beinaccurate given the highly dynamic and unpredictablebehavior of these objects. When available, please refer to the Observed Magnitude value and consider the Predicted Magnitude as adirectional indication. We acknowledge with thanks the comet observations from the COBS Comet ObservationDatabase contributed by observers worldwide and used in this table toreport recent comet observations.

Today's rise,transit and set times ofComet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS) fromGreenwich, UK (all times relative to the local timezone Europe/London):

Azimuth: 96.2°

Max altitude: 32.3°

Azimuth: 263.8°

  • C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS) isabove the horizon from Greenwich, UK.
  • Right now it is placed in the West-South-West direction at an altitude of 13.45° above the horizon.
  • Given its current magnitude, C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS) is barely visible to the naked eye, easily visible with the help of a small binocular.
  • Go to interactive sky chart

If you need to access this information frequently for your observations, you can create a simple customized Quick Access page,so that you can easily bookmark it in your browser favorites or add a shortcut to your mobile phones' home screen.

Sky map showing Comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS) in Sextans on September, 23 2024.Field of view: 10x6 degrees. View in interactive sky chart

High precision deep sky finder chart, 60 arcmin wide, showing where Comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS) is right now.Click on the image to see a more detailed fullscreen tracker view.

C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS)
RA: 10h 37m 22s
Dec: -06° 04’ 41”

Deep sky finder chart for Comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS).Field of view: 60x40 arcmins. View in deep sky object tracker

Also check out Where is Comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS)?,a page that provides all the information needed to find Comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS) in the sky and additional links to sky charts.

The distance of Comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS) from Earth is currently 162,521,330.0 kilometers,equivalent to 1.0863879896 Astronomical Units.Light takes9m 2.113s to travel from Comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS) and arrive to us.

162,521,330.0

1.0863879896

9m 2.113s

The following chart shows the distance of Comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS) from Earth as a function of time.In the chart the distance data is measured in Astronomical Units and sampled with an interval of 1 day.

Chart of the distance of Comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS) from Earth in Astronomical Units (au)

The value of the reported distance might be somewhat inaccurate around the times of closest approach for objects passing extremely close to Earth.The value of the distance of C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS) from Earth is also available as a real time updated value in theLive Position and Data Tracker.

Between 1 January 2000 and 31 December 2099,the closest approach ofComet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS) to Earth happens on Sun Oct 13 2024 at a distance of 0.472764 Astronomical Units, or70,724,459 kilometers:

Sun Oct 13 2024

70,724,459

0.472764

NOTE: values for the closest approach are computedwith a sampling interval of 1 day.

The following chart is the predicted light curve(visual magnitude as a function of time) of Comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS),according to the most recent ephemerides data. Magnitude data is sampled with a 2 days interval and there might be inaccuraciesfor objects changing brightness very rapidly during the course of a few days. For comets there could be large discrepanciesbetween the observed and predicted brightness because of their highly dynamic behaviour.

Chart of the magnitude of Comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS) as a function of time

The following table lists the orbital elements of Comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS)at epoch30 November 2023 00:00 UTC (JD: 2460279.5).Source: JPL Small-Body Database

ElementSymbolValue
Orbit eccentricitye1.00013696
Orbit inclinationi139.11766504°
Perihelion distanceq0.39147263 AU
58,563,473 km
Aphelion distanceQn.a.
Semi-major axisan.a.
Orbital periodperiodn.a.
Date of perihelion transitTp2024-Sep-27 17:31:12
2,460,581.2300 JD
Argument of perihelionperi308.48465885054°
Longitude of the ascending nodenode21.557428826639°
Mean anomalyM-0.001946076007635°
Mean motionn0.00000645°/day

Orbit Diagram of Comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS)
View Comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS) in the 3D Solar System Simulator

The following table lists the ephemerides of Comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS) computed for the past and next 7 days, with a 24 hours interval.Apparent celestial coordinates are provided.

DateRight AscensionR.A.DeclinationDec.MagnitudeMagConstellation
2024 Sep 1610h 36m 59s-05° 32’ 27”7.99Sextans
2024 Sep 1710h 36m 40s-05° 39’ 37”7.87Sextans
2024 Sep 1810h 36m 27s-05° 46’ 22”7.74Sextans
2024 Sep 1910h 36m 21s-05° 52’ 37”7.62Sextans
2024 Sep 2010h 36m 25s-05° 58’ 17”7.49Sextans
2024 Sep 2110h 36m 40s-06° 03’ 17”7.36Sextans
2024 Sep 2210h 37m 10s-06° 07’ 31”7.23Sextans
2024 Sep 2310h 37m 58s-06° 10’ 52”7.11Sextans
2024 Sep 2410h 39m 08s-06° 13’ 15”6.98Sextans
2024 Sep 2510h 40m 44s-06° 14’ 32”6.86Sextans
2024 Sep 2610h 42m 52s-06° 14’ 38”6.74Sextans
2024 Sep 2710h 45m 37s-06° 13’ 25”6.63Sextans
2024 Sep 2810h 49m 06s-06° 10’ 47”6.53Sextans
2024 Sep 2910h 53m 24s-06° 06’ 35”6.43Leo

Compute the position of Comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS)for any date and time between 1 January 2000and 31 December 2099and display the results on an interactive star map.

  • Position and finder charts (see also Where is Comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS)?)
  • Distance from Earth (see also How far is Comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS) from Earth?)
  • When does Comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS) rise and set?
  • Brightness (see also How bright is Comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS)?)
  • Orbital elements. Detailed informationabout Comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS) orbital parameters.
  • Interactive orbit visualization. 3dvisualization showing the orbit of Comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS) with respect to the major Solar System objects.
  • 15 days ephemerides. Table showing celestial coordinates and magnitude of Comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS) for the past and next 7 days.
  • Interactive sky chart. An online planetarium application that shows where to locate Comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS)in the sky from your location.
  • Live position tracker. A high precision sky chart that uses real deep sky imagery to help locate Comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS)with your telescope or on your astrophotographies.
Comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS) | TheSkyLive (2024)

FAQs

Is c 2023 A3 tsuchinshan-atlas visible? ›

Some astronomers are predicting that it could get to a peak brightness of -1 or -2 on the scale, meaning it could be visible during the day. By the time C/2023 A3 passes closest to Earth on Oct. 12, skywatchers can find it in the evening sky, shortly after sunset.

How to see comet tsuchinshan-atlas? ›

"The best time to look should be the evenings on and shortly after October 12 with the comet above the western horizon after sunset," Johnston wrote. The comet will be very low on the horizon on Oct. 12 (4 degrees) but climb higher in the sky each night, allowing it more time to be visible.

Where is the comet C 2023 A3 now? ›

Comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS) is currently in the constellation of Sextans. The current Right Ascension is 10h 37m 58s and the Declination is -06° 10' 51” .

Where is tsuchinshan-atlas right now? ›

Comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS) is in the constellation of Sextans, at a distance of 163,916,824.6 kilometers from Earth. The current Right Ascension is 10h 38m 22s and the Declination is -06° 11' 53” (apparent coordinates).

How big is the comet tsuchinshan atlas? ›

Initially mistaken for an asteroid, C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS) was determined to be a small comet, a mere 0.6 to 1.2 miles (1-2 kilometers) across.

What does tsuchinshan mean? ›

Meaning of the comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS) name

Tsuchinshan-ATLAS means the discovery was made using telescopes of the Purple Mountain Observatory (Zijinshan Astronomical Observatory) and Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System (ATLAS).

Where is Comet Atlas now? ›

Comet C/2023 E1 (ATLAS) is currently in the constellation of Eridanus. The current Right Ascension is 03h 31m 03s and the Declination is -18° 39' 06” . Right now, from the selected location (Greenwich, UK), Comet C/2023 E1 (ATLAS) is not visible because it is below the horizon.

When to see comet A3? ›

During late September and mid-October, the much-anticipated comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS) could become visible to the naked-eye for skywatchers around the world.

Is the comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS breaking up? ›

Comet A3 Tsuchinshan-ATLAS's disintegration rumors

The paper's author, Zdenek Sekanina, a Czech-American astronomer and comet expert at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, said, on July 8, 2024, that the comet entered an advanced phase of fragmentation. He said the end of Comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS was inevitable.

What is the brightness of the Tsuchinshan-ATLAS comet? ›

SpaceWeather.com reports that Comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS is brightening rapidly, quoting Australian astrophotographer Michael Mattiazzo, who has been imaging the icy snowball before sunrise. It's estimated to be shining at magnitude +4, which puts it within the grasp of the naked human eye.

Will comet A3 be visible in the southern hemisphere? ›

Your hemisphere will affect when you'll get the best view of comet A3. For those in the southern hemisphere, the best views will likely be before sunrise around its perihelion on Sept. 27. That's the closest it will get to the sun, so it will likely be at its brightest, while in the constellation Leo and Sextans.

Is Atlas still holding the sky? ›

In Greek mythology, Atlas (/ˈætləs/; Greek: Ἄτλας, Átlās) is a Titan condemned to hold up the heavens or sky for eternity after the Titanomachy. Atlas also plays a role in the myths of two of the greatest Greek heroes: Heracles (Hercules in Roman mythology) and Perseus.

Where is the Atlas Mountains? ›

The Atlas Mountains are a series of mountain ranges located in the northwest corner of the African continent. They are more than 1,600 miles long and run through the countries of Algeria, Morocco, and Tunisia. The Atlas Mountains were formed over millions of years.

Where is planet atlas? ›

Overview. Atlas is an inner moon of Saturn, orbiting around the outer edge of Saturn's A Ring.

How to see comet 13P olbers? ›

Given its current brightness (magnitude 8.8), 13P/Olbers is visible with the help of a binocular with a 60-70mm aperture or a small telescope.

Where is the Atlas telescope? ›

It consists of two telescopes, 100 miles apart, near the summit of Mauna Loa on Hawai'i Island and on Haleakalā.

What is the orbit of the comet 2023 A3? ›

Orbit. The comet has a retrograde orbit, lying at an inclination of 139°. Τhe comet has its perihelion on 27 September 2024, at a distance of 0.391 AU. Τhe closest approach to Earth will be on 12 October 2024, at a distance of 0.47 AU.

When did the Atlas SUV come out? ›

The Volkswagen Atlas is a mid-size crossover SUV manufactured by the German automaker Volkswagen since 2017.

References

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