Starting today you can see the "Neanderthal comet"

Starting today you can see the "Neanderthal comet"

 Astronomy and astrology amateurs in the Arab countries and other regions of the world can see a comet, in a rare opportunity, to see a comet that had visited Earth once about 80 thousand years ago, specifically since the era of the Neanderthals.

Astronomers in the Arab countries and the northern half of the Earth will be able to see this comet starting today, Saturday, until the end of this month. It is an opportunity that will not be repeated in our lifetime because the comet may visit Earth after about 800 centuries.

Comet C/2023 A3 "Tsuchenshan-Atlas" was first identified by astronomers last year, and is believed to orbit the sun every 80,000 years or so. Comet C/2023 A3 is a ball of rocks, ice, and dust, and was discovered for the first time in January last year, by the Chinese “Tsouchenshan” Observatory in cooperation with the US space agency “NASA”.

According to the British newspaper Daily Mail, the comet is believed to have originated in the Oort Cloud, a giant spherical ice shell surrounding our solar system dating back 4.5 billion years. It approached our sun at the end of last month, rushing at a speed of more than 70 kilometers per second.

It will be visible in the sky of the Arab world with the naked eye, an hour after sunset, provided that the sky is clear and the eastern horizon is completely exposed, according to what the Russian Sputnik website reported. As it approaches the sun, scientists expect it to emit a dust tail as a result of flying dust and ice.

Although scientists cannot accurately predict how bright it will be, some estimates indicate that it may become as bright as the 20 brightest stars in the night sky. Therefore, it is recommended to use small telescopes or binoculars with low magnification to clearly see the comet, including its long tail and faint outer region.