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How to View the ‘Comet of the Century’ C/2023 A3


September will see the appearance of C/2023 A3, also known as Tsuchinshan–ATLAS, that has traveled for tens of thousands of years through the solar system.

Solar radiation from the star—in our case the sun—vaporizes some of the comet’s frozen material, blowing gas and dust away from the nucleus that then reflects the star’s light. During this period, the comet will reach its minimum distance from the sun, before beginning its journey back out of the solar system. Since Tsuchinshan–ATLAS is a long-orbiting body and comes from the Oort cloud, beyond the edge of the solar system, it will not appear again in our skies for tens of thousands of years.

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