C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan–ATLAS)

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Nov '24

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C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan–ATLAS) is a long-period comet from the Oort Cloud discovered by the Purple Mountain Observatory on January 9, 2023 and independently found by ATLAS in South Africa on February 22, 2023. It originates from the Oort Cloud and is currently in the constellation of Ophiuchus, approximately. The comet still has yet to become visible to the naked eye as it slowly makes its closest approach to Earth which will be on October 23, 2024.

Physical Characteristics[]

Comet C/2023 A3 has a parabolic-like retrograde orbit, meaning it moves in the opposite direction to most major solar system objects. On September 27, 2024, it will make its closest approach to the sun at a distance of 0.39 astronomical units (AU), or 36 million miles (58 million km).

Orbit[]

Comet C/2023 A3 is located -2,852.68 AU from the Sun on average, coming as close as 0.39 AU. Comet C/2023 A3 orbits the Sun every roughly 29,200,000 days (80,000 years). It has an eccentricity of 1.00013 with an inclination of 139.12 degrees.^[1]