In the fall of 2024, a comet called C/2023 A3 will be flying toward Earth, which will be visible to the naked eye. It will be the second comet to be seen on Earth in six months - in April, we had the opportunity to observe the Devil's Comet.
Space writes about it.
It is reported that the comet is still far from the Earth and in September it will approach the Sun, that is, our planet, moving through the solar system. It is predicted that during its approach to Earth, the comet's brightness will outshine most of the stars in the night sky.
As comets approach the Sun, they heat up and their surface ices sublime (turn from a solid to a gas). As a result, a so-called coma is formed, which expands under the influence of the solar wind and the well-known comet tail appears.
The closer the comet gets to Earth, the brighter it will shine. According to scientists, in September-October, the comet will approach the Sun and will be at a distance of 70 million kilometers from the Earth. There is a possibility that comet C/2023 A3 may shine very brightly in the night sky, so that it will be visible to the naked eye. But this may not happen, because it is very difficult to predict the behavior of a comet.
Astronomers do not know for sure whether comet C/2023 A3 has ever approached the Sun, because it first arrived in the inner part of the solar system.
Another scenario may occur - the comet may collapse under the influence of the Sun's heat. After all, it is believed that comets that fly up to the Sun for the first time are very prone to destruction.
Astronomers continue to observe comet C/2023 A3 and will eventually be able to tell whether it is very bright and what will eventually happen to it.
Earlier, we reported that scientists discover huge black hole near Earth.