Comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS)
Comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS) is in the constellation of
Ophiucus,
at a distance of
View interactive star map
Comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS) was discovered by the Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System (ATLAS) on 22 February 2023 and it was also independently observed few weeks before in January 2023 at the Tsuchinshan Chinese Observatory (Purple Mountain Observatory of the Chinese Academy of Sciences). The official designation includes both Tsuchinshan and ATLAS due to these independent observations. Its retrograde orbit, meaning it moves in the opposite direction to most major solar system objects, is parabolic-like with a perihelion distance of 0.39 astronomical units (AU). Comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS) is notable and actively observed because, based on current estimations, it is could become bright enough to be visible to the naked eye during its perihelion passage between September and October 2024.
Celestial Coordinates
Apparent
J2000
Additional Information
The observed values of Magnitude, Coma Diameter and Tail Length are derived from the most recent observation recorded at the Comet Observers Database. The value of Predicted Magnitude comes from the JPL Horizons ephemerides service and, in the case of comets, might be inaccurate given the highly dynamic and unpredictable behavior of these objects. When available, please refer to the Observed Magnitude value and consider the Predicted Magnitude as a directional indication. We acknowledge with thanks the comet observations from the COBS Comet Observation Database contributed by observers worldwide and used in this table to report recent comet observations.
Rise and Set Times
Today's rise, transit and set times of Comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS) from Greenwich, UK (all times relative to the local timezone Europe/London):
- C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS) is below the horizon from Greenwich, UK.
- Given its current magnitude, C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS) is barely visible to the naked eye, easily visible with the help of a small binocular.
- Go to interactive sky chart
If you need to access this information frequently for your observations, you can create a simple customized Quick Access page, so that you can easily bookmark it in your browser favorites or add a shortcut to your mobile phones' home screen.
Finder Charts
High precision deep sky finder chart, 60 arcmin wide, showing where Comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS) is right now. Click on the image to see a more detailed fullscreen tracker view.
Also check out Where is Comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS)?, a page that provides all the information needed to find Comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS) in the sky and additional links to sky charts.
Distance from Earth
The distance of Comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS) from Earth is currently
The following chart shows the distance of Comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS) from Earth as a function of time. In the chart the distance data is measured in Astronomical Units and sampled with an interval of 1 day.
The value of the reported distance might be somewhat inaccurate around the times of closest approach for objects passing extremely close to Earth. The value of the distance of C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS) from Earth is also available as a real time updated value in the Live Position and Data Tracker.
Closest Approach
Between 1 January 2000 and 31 December 2099, the closest approach of Comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS) to Earth happens on Sun Oct 13 2024 at a distance of 0.472764 Astronomical Units, or 70,724,459 kilometers:
NOTE: values for the closest approach are computed with a sampling interval of 1 day.
Light Curve
The following chart is the predicted light curve (visual magnitude as a function of time) of Comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS), according to the most recent ephemerides data. Magnitude data is sampled with a 2 days interval and there might be inaccuracies for objects changing brightness very rapidly during the course of a few days. For comets there could be large discrepancies between the observed and predicted brightness because of their highly dynamic behaviour.
Orbital Elements
The following table lists the orbital elements of Comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS) at epoch 30 November 2023 00:00 UTC (JD: 2460279.5). Source: JPL Small-Body Database
| Element | Symbol | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Orbit eccentricity | e | 1.00013696 |
| Orbit inclination | i | 139.11766504° |
| Perihelion distance | q | 0.39147263 AU 58,563,473 km |
| Aphelion distance | Q | n.a. |
| Semi-major axis | a | n.a. |
| Orbital period | period | n.a. |
| Date of perihelion transit | Tp | 2024-Sep-27 17:31:12 2,460,581.2300 JD |
| Argument of perihelion | peri | 308.48465885054° |
| Longitude of the ascending node | node | 21.557428826639° |
| Mean anomaly | M | -0.001946076007635° |
| Mean motion | n | 0.00000645°/day |
Orbit Visualization
View Comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS) in the 3D Solar System Simulator
15 Days Ephemeris
The following table lists the ephemerides of Comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS) computed for the past and next 7 days, with a 24 hours interval. Apparent celestial coordinates are provided.
| Date | Right AscensionR.A. | DeclinationDec. | MagnitudeMag | Constellation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 Oct 14 | 14h 38m 38s | -00° 22’ 33” | 6.00 | Virgo |
| 2024 Oct 15 | 14h 59m 53s | +00° 11’ 29” | 6.00 | Virgo |
| 2024 Oct 16 | 15h 19m 59s | +00° 42’ 48” | 6.00 | Serpens |
| 2024 Oct 17 | 15h 38m 40s | +01° 10’ 54” | 6.39 | Serpens |
| 2024 Oct 18 | 15h 55m 52s | +01° 35’ 38” | 6.53 | Serpens |
| 2024 Oct 19 | 16h 11m 33s | +01° 57’ 05” | 6.69 | Serpens |
| 2024 Oct 20 | 16h 25m 44s | +02° 15’ 28” | 6.85 | Ophiucus |
| 2024 Oct 21 | 16h 38m 35s | +02° 31’ 08” | 7.01 | Ophiucus |
| 2024 Oct 22 | 16h 50m 10s | +02° 44’ 23” | 7.17 | Ophiucus |
| 2024 Oct 23 | 17h 00m 36s | +02° 55’ 34” | 7.32 | Ophiucus |
| 2024 Oct 24 | 17h 10m 03s | +03° 05’ 01” | 7.48 | Ophiucus |
| 2024 Oct 25 | 17h 18m 35s | +03° 12’ 59” | 7.63 | Ophiucus |
| 2024 Oct 26 | 17h 26m 20s | +03° 19’ 42” | 7.78 | Ophiucus |
| 2024 Oct 27 | 17h 33m 23s | +03° 25’ 24” | 7.92 | Ophiucus |
Additional Resources
- Position and finder charts (see also Where is Comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS)?)
- Distance from Earth (see also How far is Comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS) from Earth?)
- When does Comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS) rise and set?
- Brightness (see also How bright is Comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS)?)
- Orbital elements. Detailed information about Comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS) orbital parameters.
- Interactive orbit visualization. 3d visualization showing the orbit of Comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS) with respect to the major Solar System objects.
- 15 days ephemerides. Table showing celestial coordinates and magnitude of Comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS) for the past and next 7 days.
- Interactive sky chart. An online planetarium application that shows where to locate Comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS) in the sky from your location.
- Live position tracker. A high precision sky chart that uses real deep sky imagery to help locate Comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS) with your telescope or on your astrophotographies.