Stargazers alert - Comet C/2023 A3: Once-in-a-80,000 year celestial event visible this weekend
Comet C/2023 A3 has returned to Earth’s skies after 80,000 years, promises spectacular sky show
Comet C/2023 A3, also known as Tsuchinshan-ATLAS, is making a rare and breathtaking return to Earth's skies after an astonishing 80,000-year journey around the Sun. From Friday through Monday, early risers will have the unique opportunity to catch a glimpse of this celestial wonder in the early morning sky.
According to BBC Sky at Night Magazine, Comet C/2023 A3 completes its orbit every 80,000 years, making this an extraordinarily rare event for stargazers. The comet is expected to become a prominent object in the morning sky by late September 2024, shining brightly at a magnitude of +0.6 just before sunrise. The comet will reach its closest point to the Sun, known as perihelion, on September 28, 2024. As it ascends into the evening sky around October 10, observers can anticipate slightly dimmer views, with the comet predicted to shine at a magnitude of +0.8.
NASA astronaut Matthew Dominick, currently stationed aboard the International Space Station, shared a mesmerizing video of the comet on social media. In his post, he described the comet as appearing like "a fuzzy star" when viewed with the naked eye from the ISS's cupola windows. However, using a 200mm f/2 lens with a 1/8s exposure, Dominick captured more detailed images, showcasing the comet's potential for stunning visuals as it draws closer to the Sun.
Amateur astronomer Stuart Atkinson from Cumbria also provided insights into what viewers can expect. He noted on social media that the comet would resemble "a fuzzy star with a misty tail" positioned low in the eastern sky beneath the Moon. Atkinson suggested that using binoculars could enhance the viewing experience, offering a more detailed look at this once-in-a-lifetime celestial event.
Don't miss the chance to witness this extraordinary astronomical phenomenon as Comet C/2023 A3 graces our skies for the first time in millennia.
So far Comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS looks like a fuzzy star to the naked eye looking out the cupola windows. But with a 200mm, f2 lens at 1/8s exposure you can really start to see it. This comet is going to make for some really cool images as it gets closer to the sun. For now a… pic.twitter.com/JstaSLJ4Ui
— Matthew Dominick (@dominickmatthew) September 19, 2024
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Rahul Gandhi to join Congress padyatra in Bihar, address party workers
Patna (PTI): Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, will join the party's ongoing 'Palayan Roko, Naukri Do' padyatra in Bihar's Begusarai district on Monday.
Later in the day, he will return to Patna from Begusarai to address the 'Samvidhan Suraksha Sammelan' (Save the Constitution Symposium). After that he will visit Sadaqat Ashram, the Bihar Congress office in Patna, to address party workers.
This will be Gandhi's third Bihar tour since January, when he had urged party workers to "inflict an ideological defeat" on the BJP in the assembly polls due later this year.
The Raebareli MP shared a minute-long video message on X on Sunday, urging the youth of Bihar to join him in the march in Begusarai wearing "white T-shirts".
"Our aim is to draw the attention of the world to the plight of Bihar's youth, who find government jobs getting scarce day by day and privatisation bringing no benefits. Let us bring the government in the state under pressure and change it," he said in the video.
Begusarai also happens to be the home district of Kanhaiya Kumar, who has been the star attraction of the padyatra, which began in East Champaran district last month.
The former JNU students' union president had unsuccessfully contested the 2019 Lok Sabha polls, on a CPI ticket, from the seat.
In the Bihar assembly polls, the Mahagathbandhan, comprising RJD, Congress and the Left, is pitted against the ruling Nitish Kumar-led NDA that also comprises the BJP.
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