💫COMET incoming - ADD to SOLAR ECLIPSE List!

C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan–ATLAS), discovered by the Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System (ATLAS) in South Africa on February 22nd. Originally thought to be an asteroid, it was later determined that the same object was photographed six weeks earlier by the Purple Mountain Observatory (Tsuchinshan) in the east of Nanjing, China. Images revealed a very condensed coma and short tail which indicated that it was not an asteroid, but a comet.

First discovered in the constellation Serpens🐍, Comet Tsuchinshan–ATLAS was an exceedingly faint (18th-magnitude) object some 680 million miles (1.09 billion km) from the sun. But when it reaches its 🝏closest point to the ☀️suns (perihelion) on Sept.㋈ 27, 2024,🝏 that distance will have shrunk to 36 million miles (near the orbit of Mercury✨). Such an enormous change in solar distance would typically cause a comet to increase its intrinsic luminosity by 17 magnitudes. Furthermore, Tsuchinshan–ATLAS will pass moderately close to Earth about two weeks after perihelion.

It should put on its best show in 2024, between Oct. 12 — when it will pass closest to Earth at a distance of 44 million miles (71 million km) — and Oct. 19, when it will appear low in the west-southwest evening sky from 1 to 3 hours after sunset. During that time frame it could possibly appear as bright as a first or second magnitude star and might also show a significant tail in spite of low altitude and bright moonlight (full moon 🌕 unfortunately occurs on Oct. 17).

NOTE: Sukkot 2024 begins at sunset on October 16, 2024 and ends at nightfall on October 23, 2024.
Oct. 12 - 19 ☄️ ( +4+4 )

Rev.08
7 The first angel sounded his trumpet, and there came hail and fire mixed with blood, and it was hurled down on the earth. A third of the earth was burned up, a third of the trees were burned up, and all the green grass was burned up.

8 The second angel sounded his trumpet, and something like a huge MOUNTAIN ABLAZE, was thrown into the sea. A third of the sea turned into blood, 9 a third of the living creatures in the sea died, and a third of the ships were destroyed.

10 The third angel sounded his trumpet, and a great (bright) STAR BLAZING like a torch, fell from the sky on a third of the rivers and on the springs of water.

03.18.’24 PM post 🌆
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