When a new opening credits sequence was needed for Doctor Who, NASA provided a surprising new look at Comet A3, currently flying close to Earth at a speed of 80.47 kilometers per second after a recent encounter with the sun.
The NASA Solar-Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) spacecraft captured an image of the comet, showing it as a white streak of light opposite Mercury. The sun, represented by a large blue circle in the center of the image, was partially obscured by a coronagraph.
Comet A3 is believed to have originated from the Oort cloud, a region at the edge of the solar system containing icy bodies. Comets like A3 take hundreds of thousands of years to complete an orbit due to their distance from the sun.
Comets are made up of ice, rock, gas, and dust remnants from the formation of the solar system. As they approach the sun, they develop long tails stretching millions of kilometers.
The comet’s official name, C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS), combines the names of the observatories that first detected and identified it in January 2023.
undefined
Significance of Comet A3
Comets like A3 are rare and only visible when they are close enough to the sun during their orbits. The animation below captures this unique moment.
NASA’s SOHO provides stunning images of the comet, but you can also try spotting comets without being a space satellite.
Observing Comet A3
Comet A3 will be visible again tonight, around 30 minutes after sunset. Tomorrow, it may also be seen during daylight as it approaches Earth at a distance of 70 million kilometers.
For the best viewing experience, head to areas with minimal light pollution. Using binoculars or a telescope can enhance your chances of spotting the comet.
Related articles:
Source: www.sciencefocus.com
