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EYES TO THE SKY: Comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS visits Earth’s skies amidst setting summer stars

"The Voyager 1 spacecraft took 35 years to leave the sun’s magnetic influence. It’s traveling one million miles each day. At that speed, it will take 300 years to reach the inner layer of the Oort Cloud. Then, it will take 30,000 years to get through it all. It’s that thick! This is where some comets come from."

The Voyager 1 spacecraft took 35 years to leave the sun’s magnetic influence. It’s traveling one million miles each day. At that speed, it will take 300 years to reach the inner layer of the Oort Cloud. Then, it will take 30,000 years to get through it all. It’s that thick! This is where some comets come from.

— From NASA Science – Space Place illustration, below.

Comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS, C/2023 A3 was discovered by the Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System (ATLAS) telescope in South Africa on February 22, 2023. Observers at Purple Mountain (Zijin Shin or Tsuchinshan) in China found the comet independently on images from January 9, 2023. Hence, the name Tsuchinshan-ATLAS.

As described in StarryNight7, most comets were discovered by and named for amateur astronomers until the inception of the earlier Lincoln Near Earth Asteroid Research (LINEAR) project. LINEAR was established to detect asteroids that might threaten Earth.

NASA Science — Space Place: Multi-disciplinary opportunities specially for youth from the National Aeronautical and Space Administration. For reproducible poster, click here. For other use guidelines, click here.

The popular astronomy and natural history website EarthSky.org has reported on the appearance of C/2023 A3 in Earth’s skies. A collection of photographs by amateur astronomers following the comet illustrates the articles. For a preview of what is coming to Berkshire skies, study the illustrations and captions posted in this issue of “Eyes to the Sky” and the articles at earthsky.org.

If we are fortunate, the comet will grace our sky from Oct. 14 to 24. Look to the west shortly after sunset for Comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS. Chart by John Jardine Goss/ EarthSky. Published with permission. [Note that viewing estimates keep changing. StarryNight7 predicts visibility low in the west on evenings of Oct. 12 to 28.]
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EYES TO THE SKY: Planet Venus, the Evening Star, closest, brightest mid-February

At peak magnitude, seek out the goddess of love planet in a clear blue sky in the west-southwest during daylight hours, being extremely careful to keep eyes diverted from the sun.

NATURE’S TURN: Turning the corner to spring — a Valentine for Earth

“A thing is right when it tends to preserve the integrity, stability and beauty of the biotic community.” — Aldo Leopold

NATURE’S TURN: Dynamic winter designs in snow, treetops

The first porcupine in a string of winter squatters and the first to enter right beside the doorstep to my home, this entitled individual even tread onto and then sidled sideways off the edge of the lowest steppingstone to my front door to reach the crawlspace.

The Edge Is Free To Read.

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