Friday probably the best day for observing Comet Tsuchinshan-Atlas
Published: Thursday, Oct 10th 2024, 15:40
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In the coming days, the orbit of the comet Tsuchinshan-Atlas will reach its closest point to Earth. Due to the weather, Friday (tomorrow) should offer the best chance of seeing the celestial body with the naked eye.
Stefan Scherrer from MeteoSwiss said at the request of Keystone-SDA. The Federal Office of Meteorology and Climatology expects the clouds, which will dominate the first half of the day, to clear towards the evening. There should therefore be a good chance of seeing the comet in large parts of Switzerland. "The clouds shouldn't be much of a problem," said Scherrer.
As a general rule, if you are serious about observing comets, look for a place with little ambient light. Elevated locations are also recommended. Those who spend time in cities or other places with lots of light sources have rather poor prospects.
70 million kilometers distance
From today's perspective, it might also be possible to see Tsuchinshan-Atlas on Tuesday. The weather should improve by then. Saturday and Monday, on the other hand, offer gloomy prospects. According to meteorologists, it will be very cloudy and rainy on both sides of the Alps. On Sunday, those in western Switzerland, Valais or Ticino can be the most optimistic. This is because it will clear up from the west. The north and east of Switzerland are likely to remain relatively cloudy.
The comet Tsuchinshan-Atlas is also known as C/2023 A3. Its orbit will reach its closest point to the Earth in the next few days. It will then be around 70 million kilometers away - just under half the distance between the Earth and the sun. According to astronomers, it can theoretically be seen best from October 12 to 14. However, the aforementioned weather in Switzerland is putting a spanner in the works for amateur astronomers.
Tsuchinshan Atlas was discovered in early 2023. The name comes from the telescopes in China and South Africa that first spotted it. It is one of the non-periodic comets that - if at all - only come close to the Earth again after long periods of time. The comet originates from the Oort Cloud, a spherical collection of objects at the outermost edge of the solar system.
©Keystone/SDA
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