Posted on 10/16/2024 1:35:03 PM PDT by woodbutcher1963
MANCHESTER, N.H. —
A comet we will not see again in our lifetime has been visible in the night sky recently.
Many Granite Staters captured views of the comet, known as C/2023 A3 Tsuchinshan-ATLAS, on Saturday night. Then, after a couple of cloudy nights, conditions were right for more viewing Tuesday night.
The comet could be visible again Wednesday night, too.
There will be more clearing during the day, and by Wednesday evening, it should be a mainly clear sky.
Those hoping to catch a view should look toward the west just after sunset. The comet will be higher in the sky, farther above the horizon, than in previous days, though as it continues to appear higher in the sky in the coming days, it will become dimmer. So, Wednesday night could be one of the best chances yet to get a view.
Previous estimates by scientists pegged that the comet travels through the inner solar system around every 80,000 years, but as the orbits of comets continue to be revised with new data, that figure is no longer considered accurate, according to NASA. In fact, it's possible this comet's path could take it out of the solar system altogether.
Visible in the western sky just after sunset.
Yep, probably won't be around for the next time.
Saw it last night over in Az. But the moon was so bright it was not as spectacular as it should have been. Could see the outgassing tail is LOOONG though...
I'm not a rocket scientist, but the eccentricity of this comet's orbit is GREATER THAN 1.0. This means the comet is in a hyperbolic orbit meaning IT WILL NEVER RETURN. That kinda how orbital mechanics works last time I checked.
Good! Someone else's problem.
THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU! 🥰
Thank you for reminding us of that! I so appreciate that, especially after missing that aurora.
Mr. mm and I went for drive and found some good places to see it tonight. The full moon is cutting into the show, no doubt, but you could see it has a nice long tail.
The moon rises an hour later every night and so as the comet pulls away from the sun, I’m guessing it will be a little higher each night and so easier to see.
And we found we did have a gap in the trees at our place that we could see it. But with a ridge on both the east and west side of our property, and those danged tall hemlocks, it does cut into the hours of daylight. I wish they were smaller so we could take them down safely.
Not a comet but a space battle going on.
That is just a photo of just one shot. Since they all look alike people think it is the same “comet”...
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