Until the very end it was not known whether the sighting was true comets Tsuchinshan-ATLAS will be possible at all. Just a few months ago, there was information about its possible breakup. Ultimately, however, at the end of September, the comet safely passed the point closest to the Sun, and since last Friday it has been visible in our sky.
Comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS visible over Poland. “A wonderful show”
“Comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS) over Poland through the lens of observers IMWM-NRI from Kasprowy Wierch – the highest observatory in the country, with a beautiful panorama of the Tatra Mountains,” we read in the entry of the Institute of Meteorology and Water Management on the X platform. IMWM posts a series of amazing photos and at the same time appeals to Internet users to share their observations.
– We have a chance for a unique cosmic spectacle, a wonderful spectacle in the sky, of course, if we are allowed to do so weather. The comet will change its position relative to the Sun, which will allow observers in the northern hemisphere to see it – said an astronomer, Dr. Piotr Witek from the Planetarium, a few days ago Copernicus Science Center. This week the conditions for viewing the comet should be the best.
“Comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS) was discovered in early 2023. It quickly caught the imagination of observers around the world and… it did not disappoint! After a period of good visibility in the southern hemisphere in September and surviving a flyby close to the Sun, The comet begins its tour of the northern hemisphere's evening sky! – wrote Karol Wójcicki, author of the blog “With your head in the stars”, on social media, presenting a lot of photos. He added that although it is difficult to say precisely how bright the comet is, “estimates indicate a brightness ranging from -1.5 magnitude (Sirius) to even -4 magnitude (Venus)!”
Once every 80 thousand years. Where to look for the Tsuchinshan-ATLAS comet?
Let's look for it above the western horizon after sunset, i.e. in the sky that is not yet completely dark. Let's look for it low, maybe ten, maybe fifteen degrees above the horizon, in the west with a slight shift towards the south
– explained Jerzy Rafalski from the Planetarium in Toruń at the end of last week. It is worth having binoculars and a camera with a long exposure time function. The comet is expected to be visible in our sky around the end of this week. The best conditions for observation will be far from the city center, in the darkest possible place, where artificial light pollution is the least. Astronomers emphasize that it is worth spending the evening and going on a trip outside the city. The next opportunity to see the Tsuchinshan-ATLAS comet will appear in about 80,000 years.