This is What the Comet Visiting Our Solar System After 80,000 Years Looks Like

Astrophotography from around the world has captured for all posterity what a comet visiting our solar system after 80,000 years looks like. Comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS) is a bright and elusive space rock that lit up night skies after coming within 70.81 million kilometres of Earth, its closest approach, on Sunday.Dubbed the “comet of the century”, this once-in-life-time celestial event has dazzled skywatchers worldwide. Its brightness made naked-eye sightings possible over the weekend. Social media users have posted some stunning pieces of imagery. Embedded below are a few glimpses of the cosmic visitor.

The Tsuchinshan-ATLAS comet… last visible from Earth 80,000 years ago. pic.twitter.com/8FjZPISknU

— Graig Salerno (@GraigSalerno) October 13, 2024

Don’t forget to try to spot the Comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS tonight! This is the last chance to see it for 80,000 years pic.twitter.com/0fU6t6OB3u

— Anna Margaret (@itsannamargaret) October 16, 2024

Comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS over Tucson, AZ ☄️

📸: Donna Ruthruff @abc15 pic.twitter.com/X3FQYBFUYu

— Jorge Torres (@JorgeTWeather) October 16, 2024

My comet photo this evening from home in Westlake Village, CA. 100mm, f4.5, ISO 1000, 2.5 seconds. (Comet C/2023 A3 Tsuchinshan-ATLAS) pic.twitter.com/LIabGEXnlH

— William Reid (@stormbruiser) October 13, 2024

Some more Comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS for your feed this morning. pic.twitter.com/d6ZyjlfrLV

— Jim Tang (@wxmann) October 15, 2024

Comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS) gets its name from its twin, independent discoveries. It was first reported by the Purple Mountain Observatory in China (called "Tsuchinshan" in Mandarin) on January 9, 2023. Later, the Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System (ATLAS) observed the comet in February. When astronomers did their calculations, it was confirmed that the same icy body was seen on both occasions, leading to the name C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS).The comet has a long orbital period, taking about 80,000 years to complete one trip around the sun. This means, the last time it was seen, humans had were just migrating out of Africa to colonise the world.The comet will next visit our cosmic neighbourhood in the year 82,024, unless it faces a gravitational force strong enough to change its course.However, the object would remain visible in the night sky through Sunday, October 20.C/2023 A3 likely came from the Oort Cloud, a ring of icy bodies at the edge of our solar system. Over the course of its transit, the comet has been observed moving through the constellation Serpens Caput and later passing close to the M5 globular cluster. At the end of this month, it will appear to have moved into the constellation Ophiuchus from our perspective.