MSGID: 1:153/757.0 06e485f3   
   TZUTC: -0700   
   CHRS: LATIN-1 2   
                           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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                         A service of: ASD at NASA / GSFC,   
                              NASA Science Activation   
                                & Michigan Tech. U.   
      
   --- BBBS/Li6 v4.10 Toy-7   
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