The comet C/2023 Tsuchinshan-ATLAS, dubbed the "comet of the century," has put on a show in the skies over Mallorca. The celestial body was visible to the naked eye during its first approach to Earth and was observed by several members of the Fundació Institut d’Astronomia i Astronàutica de Mallorca. The images were captured by astronomers Alex Martínez and Esteban Fernández from the Costitx Observatory at 6.45am on Tuesday.
Astronomy experts have considered this event as one of the "brightest and most interesting" in recent decades. This is due to its close approach, its size (approximately 5 kilometres in diameter), and the likelihood that it is a first-time comet, meaning it has a significant amount of surface ice that easily evaporates. "In recent days, we’ve been able to see it with the naked eye and with binoculars, but we’ve been tracking it with telescopes at the Costitx Observatory to capture the comet’s tail clearly," said Salvador Sánchez, a member of the Fundació Institut d’Astronomia i Astronàutica de Mallorca.
The comet, which was discovered in January 2023 and named after the two observatories that independently detected it, visits the inner solar system approximately every 80,000 years. This means that it would have been last visible from Earth when Neanderthals roamed the planet. It originates from the Oort Cloud, a gigantic spherical layer surrounding our solar system that houses billions of objects, including comets.
The comet C/2023 Tsuchinshan-ATLAS captured from Mallorca. Telescope of the Costitx Observatory.
This astronomical phenomenon has also been seen from other locations in the Balearic Islands, specifically from Ibiza. A stunning image captured by Ibiza-based photographer Jose Antonio Hervás is proof of this. "After several failed attempts due to constant clouds on the horizon, finally today, 09/30/24, with completely clear skies, Comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan–ATLAS) was visible, planned to be seen passing by Ibiza's Cathedral," he wrote on his Instagram account. The comet has also been observed in other locations across the Peninsula, such as Malaga, Barcelona, and Toledo.
Although some observers have already been able to see the comet in recent days, there will be another window in October to spot it. From September 27 to October 2, it is visible just before dawn, and then between October 9 and 12, there will be another opportunity to see it, with better visibility just after sunset, experts report. "It will be visible mainly at sunset and can be seen with the naked eye or with binoculars. The brightest day will be October 12, and you should look towards the west," explains Sánchez.
It is a non-periodic comet, meaning its trajectory will only bring it close to Earth once. This distinguishes it from other well-known comets like Halley's Comet, which passes through the sky every 75 years. The closest it will come to Earth is an astronomical distance of about 70 million kilometres. As of today, it is still 112 million kilometres away from Earth and is traveling at 83 kilometres per second.
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