The Comet of the Century will be visible for the first time in 80,000 years

28.09.2024

These days it is possible to see the pass of the Tsuchinshan-ATLAS comet for the first time in eighty thousand years. The event is known as the Star of Bethlehem and will be visible from late September to mid-October in the early morning hours.

Photo:Pixabay

Soon we will get a glimpse of a comet that was last visible eighty thousand years ago. According to astronomer Nick Moskovitz of the Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff Arizona the most important thing for observing is to choose a good spot with a view of the horizon.

These days the comet's passage should be visible to the naked eye until the beginning of next week. As the comet gets closer to the Sun it becomes less visible. If you want to see the comet you have to get up before sunrise and look towards the eastern horizon.

From Monday the comet's passage will be difficult to see in the Northern Hemisphere but around October 12th it is expected that the comet will be visible again all over the planet. Because of this you will have the best chance of seeing the comet this Sunday and then in mid-October.

After passing through the borders of the constellation Virgo the comet continues on a trajectory through the constellations Serpent and Ophiuchus. By the end of October it will lie south of the second brightest star in the constellation Ophiuchus. Many astronomers believe that the comet's flyby will be so bright that it will be named the comet of the century.

Moskovitz notes that spotting the comet without using a telescope won't be easy. This is a daytime comet that will be difficult to see due to the Sun's radiation. Despite these facts, this is an extraordinary phenomenon that could not be seen without a telescope for 80 thousand years, which is the time it takes for a comet to orbit the Sun.

Source:MSN/Editorial