From October 10, people in Switzerland will be able to witness a once-in-a-century cosmic event, as comet C/2023 A3 Tsuchinshan-ATLAS crosses the night sky. This new astronomical visitor should be visible to the naked eye from Swiss cities and cantons, as it passes Earth on its journey through the solar system.
Comet C/2023 A3 Tsuchinshan-ATLAS was first identified by Chinese astronomers in January 2023 and is said to originate from the Oort cloud of comets on the outermost edge of the solar system. Since then, the comet has tracked a path towards the sun, having reached its closest point to the star on September 27.
The comet itself is as ancient as the solar system itself, coming in at 4,5 billion years old. Luckily for us on Earth, this dirty snowball of ice and dust will be passing by. It is already the brightest comet seen in decades, promising to be a stunning sight as it crosses the night sky.
According to MeteoNews, Comet C/2023 A3 Tsuchinshan-ATLAS should be visible in the skies above Switzerland from October 10 to 20 in what is being described as a “once-in-a-century event.” The comet now has a “long beautiful tail” according to the Dutch weather service Weeronline, and should be visible to the naked eye.
The best conditions to see this stunning comet in Switzerland will be just after dark on October 12 and 15. While it will be at its closest and brightest as it emerges in the west just after sunset on October 10 and 11 - it should be as bright as Venus - it will quickly disappear behind the horizon. On Thursday and Friday, the comet will be just below (October 10) and to the left (October 11) of the Heze star in the Virgo constellation.
Between October 12 and 14, the bright comet will follow a parallel trajectory to the left of the Virgo constellation stars of T-Vir and Vir, giving Swiss stargazers more time to identify and observe it in all its glory. Be sure to look towards the constellation, which will be in the west at sunset. After October 15 the comet will begin to fade in the night sky and by October 20 will only be visible using a telescope.
Thanks to its brightness, Comet C/2023 A3 Tsuchinshan-ATLAS should be visible to the naked eye, but to see its tail more vividly, MeteoNews advises using binoculars. It’s also best to venture to places with an unobstructed horizon to the west, away from any artificial light pollution (fields, forests, mountains, etc). Fingers crossed the weather in Switzerland is kind!