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                        Astronomy Picture of the Day

    Discover the cosmos! Each day a different image or photograph of our
      fascinating universe is featured, along with a brief explanation
                    written by a professional astronomer.

                              2024 September 23
   A picture shows a starfield with three prominent objects. A blue spiral
     galaxy is on the lower left and another blue spiral is just left of
     center. Toward the upper right is a light-colored comet with a tail
   fading toward in the image bottom. Please see the explanation for more
                            detailed information.

                     Comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS Approaches
            Image Credit & Copyright: Brian Valente & Greg Stein

   Explanation: What will happen as this already bright comet approaches?
   Optimistic predictions have Comet C/2023 A3 (TsuchinshanCÇôATLAS) briefly
   becoming easily visible to the unaided eye -- although the future
   brightness of comets are notoriously hard to predict, and this comet
   may even break up in warming sunlight. What is certain is that the
   comet is now unexpectedly bright and is on track to pass its closest to
   the Sun (0.39 AU) later this week and closest to the Earth (0.47 AU)
   early next month. The featured image was taken in late May as Comet
   TsuchinshanCÇôATLAS, discovered only last year, passed nearly in front of
   two distant galaxies. The comet can now be found with binoculars in the
   early morning sky rising just before the Sun, while over the next few
   weeks it will brighten as it moves to the early evening sky.

     Your Sky Surprise: What picture did APOD feature on your birthday?
                                 (post 1995)
                      Tomorrow's picture: dusty baboon
     __________________________________________________________________

       Authors & editors: Robert Nemiroff (MTU) & Jerry Bonnell (UMCP)
            NASA Official: Amber Straughn Specific rights apply.
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                           NASA Science Activation
                             & Michigan Tech. U.

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