Comet of the Century dazzles Arab skies with a 29 million kilometer tail

• The comet, discovered by the Chinese Tsuchinshan Observatory in collaboration with the “Asteroid Impact System on Earth” (ATLAS) in South Africa for NASA, is known to astronomers as C/2023 A3 and is also nicknamed the “Comet of the Century.”

A comet that graces Earth’s sky once every 80,000 years will make its return from Saturday until October 30. This celestial event marks its first appearance since the time of the primitive Neanderthals, around 800 centuries ago, and it is expected to be one of the brightest comets visible in the Arab world and the Northern Hemisphere, the Al Rai newspaper reported.

The comet, discovered by the Chinese Tsuchinshan Observatory in collaboration with the “Asteroid Impact System on Earth” (ATLAS) in South Africa for NASA, is known to astronomers as C/2023 A3 and is also nicknamed the “Comet of the Century.” This celestial body, composed of rock, ice, and dust, will approach Earth today at a distance of 70 million kilometers. Its brightness will gradually diminish until it disappears into the vastness of the universe, returning to visit Earth in 80,000 years. The comet can be seen with the naked eye in the skies of Saudi Arabia and the Arab world, provided the eastern horizon is unobstructed and the sky is clear.

The head of the Jeddah Astronomical Society, Engineer Majid Abu Zahra, confirmed that it should be possible to see the dust tail resulting from the release of dust and ice as it approaches the sun. While its brightness remains uncertain, some scientists predict that it may shine as brightly as the twenty brightest stars in the night sky.