Comet NEOWISE (C/2020 F3) will approach the Earth in 2020. A newly discovered comet (C/2023 A3) is expected to become even brighter.
Alexander Ryumin/TASS via Getty Images
- Astronomers have discovered a new comet heading for Earth.
- The comet will likely be brighter than the stars in the night sky.
- The comet is said to have approached Earth regarding 80,000 years ago.
Astronomers predict that the recently discovered comet will shine brighter than any star in the night sky as it approaches Earth.
This comet｢C/2023 A3｣Space.com reports that it is named and is sprinting towards Earth at 290,000 km/h.
Minor Planet CenterAccording to data from , this comet has approached Earth regarding 80,000 years ago, and if all goes well this time around, it will be visible to the naked eye from around October 2024.
The comet, brighter than stars in the night sky, passed by Earth in February 2023Comet ZTF (C/2022 E3)possibly much brighter than
as bright as Venus
C/2023 A3 is predicted to reach an apparent magnitude of -0.7 to -5 (the lower the magnitude, the brighter), according to space.com. this is,Almost as bright as VenusIt means that there is a possibility of becoming
In contrast, the magnitude of Comet ZTF (commonly known as Comet Green) observed last month was regarding 4.6.
Comet ZTF (C/2022 E3) taken on January 31, 2023 at NAOJ Mitaka Campus.
National Astronomical Observatory of Japan
So C/2023 A3 passed by Earth in 2020, at least regarding 100 times more than ZTF.Comet NEOWISE (C/2020 F3)It might be six times brighter than the Ukrainian astronomy magazine The Universe. Space. Tech.
However, this is only a prediction, and many things might happen to the comet before it reaches Earth.
First you have to survive the sun. The comet, made up of gas, ice and dust, is now heading towards the Sun and might be severely affected by its intense heat. The critical moment will be the perihelion on September 28, 2024 (the day of the closest approach to the sun).
nevertheless,Scientists have hope. The comet is predicted to be quite large, and its perihelion distance from the Sun is far away, regarding 58 million km.
NASA keeps an eye out for objects approaching Earth
C/2023 A3 was detected on February 22, 2023 by the NASA-funded Asteroid Earth Impact Final Warning System (ATLAS).
The system, run by the University of Hawaii, consists of four telescopes located in Hawaii, Chile, and South Africa. They automatically scan the sky and detect possible threats to Earth coming from the sky.
NASAPotential to hit EarthWe keep an eye out for some near-Earth objects, but we don’t always find them this early.
Comet NEOWISE, for example, will approach Earth in 2020.Detected just 3 months agowas done. Luckily, it just passed by the Earth at that time, and it gave astronomy enthusiasts a spectacular view.
C/2023 A3 is also predicted not to pose a threat to Earth. The comet is thought to pass at a distance of regarding 0.5 AU (regarding 75 million km) from Earth.
