Star dust in the Ostalb sky: Komet Tsuchinshan-Atlas visible!

Star dust in the Ostalb sky: Komet Tsuchinshan-Atlas visible!

Aalen, Deutschland - A fascinating spectacle in the night sky awaits the residents of the Ostalbkreis: The comet Tsuchinshan-Atlas (C/2023 A3) will be visible from mid-October! This impressive celestial body, which was discovered in January 2023, approached around 70 million kilometers on October 12 and could light up in the western evening sky in the coming weeks. The best observation conditions are available between October 14th and 30th, especially on Friday, October 18. In the constellation Ophiuchus, the comet could achieve brightness of up to -5.0 magnitudes.

This is a rare opportunity for hobby astronomers, because the comet may be visible with the naked eye, especially in places with low light pollution such as the Braunenberg in Wasseralfingen or the Neresheim monastery. Sterngucker also have good chances of watching the comets in urban areas such as Aalen, Ellwangen and Schwäbisch Gmünd. This comet, which comes from the Oortschen Wolke and returns every 26,000 years, promises an impressive experience with a tail of up to 20 degrees that lights up at dusk. More information about this fascinating event are here to be found.