Expectation for the arrival of the “comet of the century”: what it is and how you can see it.
The fireball could be 100 times brighter than any other comet. Its approach to Earth is a once in a lifetime event that scientists follow with interest.
![comet comet](https://services.meteored.com/img/article/expectativa-por-la-llegada-del-cometa-del-siglo-que-es-y-como-se-puede-ver-1721207833786_1024.jpg)
Comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan–Atlas) is located in the inner solar system and excites astronomers, who call it the “comet of the century,” because it could achieve more luminosity than any other in the 21st century.
The meteor is traveling at 290,664 km per hour and has a core of between 6 and 15 km. It comes from the Oort Cloud, the belt of objects found at the edge of the solar system..
After approaching the Sun, it will approach our planet, which will be a great opportunity to observe and study the cosmic visitor.
These days the comet is close to Jupiter's orbit. But around the 27th of September it will reach its perihelion, the shortest distance from the Sun, which, in its case, will be 0.39 astronomical units, about 58 million km.
There is anticipation among scientists because they do not know with certainty what will happen to the comet when it is exposed to the heat of the Sun. One of the hypotheses is that it could fragment due to the heating and sublimation of its ice. This would cause its luminosity to multiply.
After passing through this point, it will begin to approach the Earth and on the 12th of October it will pass at 0.56 astronomical units, about 83.776 million km, when it will reach its greatest brightness.
![comet comet](https://services.meteored.com/img/article/expectativa-por-la-llegada-del-cometa-del-siglo-que-es-y-como-se-puede-ver-1721208405583_1024.jpg)
More conservative estimates say it could reach a magnitude of -0.1, which would make it brighter than most stars. Others, however, bet that it could reach a magnitude of -6.6, making it 100 times brighter than any other comet seen from Earth.
The comet will be visible around the world, but the southern hemisphere will have the best chance of witnessing its flash. If it reaches the expected brightness, it will be visible to the naked eye. Enthusiasts can follow the comet through apps such as Sky Tonight, which allows them to follow him in real time.
What are comets
Comets are celestial bodies composed mainly of ice, dust and rocks that orbit the Sun in elliptical paths. Their glowing tails form as they approach the Sun and the heat sublimates the ice, releasing gas and dust into space. These bodies can vary in size, from a few km to several hundred km in diameter.
They originate mainly in two regions of the solar system. The Oort cloud, a spherical region of icy objects that envelops the solar system; and the Kuiper belt, a ring of icy bodies located outside the orbit of Neptune.
Tsuchinshan–Atlas A3 is a non-periodic comet, meaning its orbit exceeds 200 years. René Ortega Minakata, a specialist at the Institute of Radio Astronomy and Astrophysics of the National Autonomous University of Mexico, explained that the comet arouses special interest because it is very likely that this will be its only visit to the solar system, and that if it returns, it will do so within 26 thousand years.
Comets usually carry in their name some coordinates of their discovery. In this case the comet was seen for the first time in January 2023, which is indicated in the initial “A”. The number 3 indicates that it is the third object of this type displayed in that period.
The Chinese Tsuchinshan project was the first to identify the comet, which is reflected in its name. Days later, the comet was detected at an observatory in South Africa, dedicated to observing the sky with Atlas telescopes, which completes its name.