2024-10-02 19:03:00
After its flyby of the sun, the comet will reappear in the evening sky around October 11. It will be visible in the west shortly after sunset. It is expected to be particularly impressive between October 12 and 14, when it comes closest to Earth – at a distance of about 70 million kilometers. During this phase, it is anticipated that its tail will be especially pronounced, as much of the comet’s material evaporates due to the proximity to the sun.
Tsuchinshan-Atlas will remain visible to the naked eye until early November, before its brightness decreases and it can only be observed through telescopes. Comets of this type rarely return close to Earth. In this case, Tsuchinshan-Atlas originates from the Oort cloud, a spherical region at the outer edge of our solar system where millions of icy bodies and comets orbit the sun.
The last comparably bright visible comet was Neowise in the summer of 2020. However, it remains uncertain how exactly the brightness of Tsuchinshan-Atlas will develop, as this depends on many factors.