What a week it has been for the Sun and Comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS). The Sun has released multiple highly energetic flares, including the most powerful this solar cycle, as well as several coronal mass ejections (CMEs) – fast eruptions of plasma pushed across interplanetary space. The flares and CMEs have come right at Earth, creating blackouts and auroral displays – but we are not the only celestial body dealing with them. Comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS has also been in the path of the latest CME, as it approaches its closest passage of Earth.
Coincidentally, as the CMEs were being released, including a full halo CME, the comet came into view of the SOHO satellite coronagraph, which monitors these solar events. The instruments create eclipses for the spacecraft, allowing them to see the extremely hot but extremely tenuous solar corona. The comet is expected to continue to be visible in the coronagraph throughout tomorrow.
.gif "Animation showing the comet coming into view. The comet is a bright strip of light slowing coming into focus. the Sun is cover by the coronagraph and it is releasing wispy arcs of plasma, the cmes")
Comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS coming into view while the Sun is spewing CMEs left, right, and center.
Image Credit: NASA/SOHO
On the solar side of things, that full halo CME is likely to create a geomagnetic storm with some nice auroral displays. The forecast will be updated as the wave of plasma moves toward our planet over the next couple of days.
On the comet side of things, the next few days are also very exciting. As of today, the comet is visible at sunset, making it a very convenient spectacle – and it is shining brightly. Tsuchinshan-ATLAS will be at its closest to our planet on October 12. It will be at a distance of roughly 70.6 million kilometers (43.9 million miles) away.
