Francisco Martin Leon Meteored Spain 08/29/2024 08:00 3 min
As Spaceweather reports, Comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS, which could be visible in daylight in October 2024, was discovered this month by NASA’s STEREO-A spacecraft, apparently in good shape on the other side of the sun. See the sequence of the comet in motion:
Tsuchinshan-ATLAS comet sequence. NASAEarth-based astronomers were unable to track the comet for weeks due to glare from the Sun. STEREO-A’s film ensures that the comet did not disintegrate, despite predictions to the contrary.
Comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS has not disintegrated and its brightness has increased
Astronomer Qicheng Zhang of Lowell Observatory is optimistic about the comet’s chances: “Its brightness continues to increase steadily and it has already reached magnitude 7,” he says. “It also continues to exhibit a very robust ion tail. There is no sign of nuclear decay.”
This is good news for sky watchers. If Tsuchinshan-ATLAS holds out a little longer, it will become a naked-eye object in late September and October.
Zhang predicts that “the comet’s brightness will increase to a magnitude of +4 ± 1 at perihelion on September 27, reaching a daytime peak of -3 ± 1 near inferior conjunction on October 9, then produce a dust tail of more than 20 degrees visible under dark skies (~October 19) before fading away.”
Recent precedent of observation of a comet in broad daylight
Comet Arend-Roland of 1957 could be “very similar” to Comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS of 2024.
Image of the comet Arend-Roland of 1957. Source: Wikipedia.“It reminds me of the Arend-Roland comet of 1957, whose combined tails had extended over several dozen degrees for a few days,” Mr. Zhang explains. “I think a comparable spectacle is by far the most likely scenario for mid-October!”
Comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS to reappear in sunlight in mid-September and will be visible to telescopes in the southern hemisphere. What will it look like at that time? Stay tuned!
