C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan–ATLAS)
Catalogue: Discovered jointly by Tsuchinshan Observatory (China) and ATLAS survey (Hawaii).
Historical Overview
Comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan–ATLAS) was discovered independently on January 9, 2023, by the Tsuchinshan (Purple Mountain) Observatory in China and the Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System (ATLAS) in Hawaii (IAU 2023).
Key Facts
- Type: Long-period comet.
- Orbital period: ~80,000 years (highly elliptical).
- Discovery: January 2023 by Tsuchinshan Observatory and ATLAS.
- Perihelion: October 10, 2024.
References
Ye, Q.-Z. et al. (2023). Comet Brightness Evolution Models. ApJ, 949, L12.
IAU Circular (2023). Discovery Announcement for C/2023 A3. International Astronomical Union.
Battams, K. (2023). Initial Brightness Predictions for C/2023 A3. NASA/GSFC Comet Notes.