Wednesday Weather Why’s: A Once in a Lifetime Comet
SAVANNAH, Ga. (WSAV) — This year has been a spectacle to behold when it comes to astronomical phenomena. In April of 2024, a total solar eclipse tracked through parts of the United States while here in the Coastal Empire and Lowcountry witnessed a partial eclipse.
Next, a powerful geomagnetic storm lit up the night sky with the northern lights for northern portions of the lower 48, and with a proper camera, our region could see it as well. Now, a once-in-a-lifetime comet is viewable in our night sky through the end of the month.
Anatomy of a Comet
A comet is an object in space that is made up of rock, dust, and frozen gases and it has several different components.
The first is the comet's nucleus which is the solid and central core of which is comprised of ice, dust, and other rock ps. When a comet approaches the sun, a process called sublimation occurs where solid ice transitions directly into a gaseous state and a surrounding atmosphere called the coma develops around the nucleus.
On the outer portions of this atmosphere resides the hydrogen cloud which is a region made up of neutral hydrogen atoms. This layer is created when ultraviolet radiation from the sun breaks apart the hydrogen in water molecules. This atmosphere surrounding the comet extends outwards from the comet nucleus making up the comet's tail which can extend millions of miles long.
The comet known as C/2023 A3 Tsuchinshan-Atlas is roughly 2 miles in diameter with a tail that extends outwards behind the comet for millions of miles. It has been visible with the naked eye for the past few evenings right around sunset above the western horizon.
If you missed it do not worry, the comet will be visible each night through the end of the month. Each night that the comet comes into the view it will be getting a little higher in the sky and a bit dimmer as well.
This is a once-in-a-lifetime celestial event since the comet has an 80,000 orbit around our sun. This means that once it moves out of view it will not return for another 80,000 years.
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