彗星紫金山-阿特拉斯接近中

2024年9月23日

Comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS Approaches
Image Credit & Copyright: Brian Valente & Greg Stein

Explanation: What will happen as this already bright comet approaches? Optimistic predictions have Comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan–ATLAS) briefly becoming easily visible to the unaided eye — although the future brightness of comets are notoriously hard to predict, and this comet may even break up in warming sunlight. What is certain is that the comet is now unexpectedly bright and is on track to pass its closest to the Sun (0.39 AU) later this week and closest to the Earth (0.47 AU) early next month. The featured image was taken in late May as Comet Tsuchinshan–ATLAS, discovered only last year, passed nearly in front of two distant galaxies. The comet can now be found with binoculars in the early morning sky rising just before the Sun, while over the next few weeks it will brighten as it moves to the early evening sky.

Your Sky Surprise: What picture did APOD feature on your birthday? (post 1995)
Tomorrow’s picture: dusty baboon

彗星紫金山-阿特拉斯接近中
影像提供与版权: Brian Valente & Greg Stein

说明: 当这颗已经相当明亮的彗星接近时，会发生什么事？乐观的预测指出，彗星C/2023 A3（Tsuchinshan–ATLAS）可能会短暂的增亮到肉眼可见的程度；不过，彗星未来的亮度通常极难预测，而且这颗彗星甚至可能在温暖的阳光中崩解。唯一可以确定的是，这颗彗星目前比预期亮，并将于本星期稍晚来至最靠近太阳（0.39天文单位）的位置，并于下个月初最接近地球（0.47天文单位）。在5月底拍下这幅主题影像时，彗星紫金山-阿特拉斯恰好从2个遥远星系的前方掠过。目前，透过双筒望远镜可在清晨的天空中，找到这颗比太阳早升起的彗星，而在接下来的数星期里，随着它移入黄昏的夜空中，会变得愈来愈明亮。

你的天空惊喜: 你生日那天APOD展示了什么照片？（1995年后）
明日的图片: dusty baboon