Comet visible to naked eye tomorrow after 80,000 years

Colombo, September 27 (Daily Mirror) - A comet that is visible once every eighty thousand years (80,000) years will be seen with the naked eye in Sri Lanka tomorrow evening after sunset, Space Scientist and Engineering Lecturer Gihan Weerasekera said.

He said the comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS) is approaching its closest encounter with the sun and is becoming brighter. 

"While it appears as a faint fuzzy dot to the naked eye, a modest telescope or binoculars will reveal its magnificent tail in vivid detail. Sky-watchers in Sri Lanka can witness this rare celestial event tomorrow evening after sunset," scientist Weerasekera said.

"The comet will be visible 45 minutes to an hour before sunrise in the eastern sky. What makes this event extraordinary is that this comet belongs to the category of Long-Period Comets, with an orbital period of around 80,000 years," he said. 

"This means it takes 80,000 years to complete one revolution around the sun. The last time it travelled close to the sun was 80,000 years ago, making this a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity," the scientist said.