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​Skywatching Alert: Catch this rare, once-in-80,000 years comet before it disappears!​

<ul class="summary-list"><li><a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/comet-heading-earth-bright-outshine-stars-scientists-c-2023-a32023-3">Comet A3, or Comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS</a>, is visible in the Northern Hemisphere this October.</li><li>The comet takes 80,000 years to orbit the sun, so Neanderthals were among the last people to see it.</li></ul><p>A rare comet is gleaming in our skies this October, it's your only chance to ever see it, and it might be <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/saw-northern-lights-surprising-photos-misleading-2024-5">visible to<strong> </strong>the naked eye</a>.</p><p>Comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS, or Comet A3, is a dusty ball of ice from the Oort Cloud that takes about 80,000 years to orbit the sun. That means some of the last people to see it were <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/last-neanderthal-thorin-unique-dna-help-explain-species-extinction-2024-9">Neanderthals</a>.</p><p>This is the best opportunity in years, and possibly in a decade, to <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/green-comet-ztf-viewing-where-when-how-see-2023-1">see a bright comet in the sky</a>. Experts are hopeful that Comet A3 will be "highly memorable" and "a real crowd pleaser," according to Dan Bartlett, an astrophotographer who tracks comets.</p><p>But you <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/tried-see-green-comet-fail-2023-2">need to be prepared</a>.</p><p>"It's just hard to make the time to be in the right place, to have the right experience," Teddy Kareta, a <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/astronomer-animations-reveal-solar-system-physics-2021-10">planetary scientist</a> who specializes in comets at the Lowell Observatory, told Business Insider.</p><p>When Kareta has talked to people who have <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/devil-comet-visible-during-total-solar-eclipse-how-see-2024-4">seen a truly great comet</a>, though, "there's just nothing like it," he said.</p><p>Here's everything you should know to be in the right place at the right time and <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-when-to-see-green-comet-mars-together-night-sky-2023-2">spot the comet</a>.</p><h2 id="11d1e1ae-eb70-4e43-aa3a-ab5cb2a93f24">How bright is Comet A3?</h2><p id="11d1e1ae-eb70-4e43-aa3a-ab5cb2a93f24">Nobody is certain about how bright this comet will be, but Kareta says it has the potential to be the <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-see-green-comet-nishimura-2023-9">brightest comet</a> in a decade.</p><p id="11d1e1ae-eb70-4e43-aa3a-ab5cb2a93f24">The last big, bold comet was <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/comet-neowise-surprise-appearance-earth-unprepared-for-asteroids-2020-7">NEOWISE in 2020</a>. It was visible to the naked eye and produced stunning photos like this:</p><div type="image" title="comet neowise belarus" height="1911" width="3000" msid="113849897" hostid="261" sizebytes="285386"></div><p id="11d1e1ae-eb70-4e43-aa3a-ab5cb2a93f24">Astronomers are divided about whether Comet A3 will shine as <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/comet-neowise-passing-close-to-earth-dazzling-photos-videos-2020-7">bright as Comet NEOWISE</a>.</p><p id="11d1e1ae-eb70-4e43-aa3a-ab5cb2a93f24">In recent weeks, A3 has at times been brighter than predicted and at other times matched predictions, according to the BBC's <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.skyatnightmagazine.com/space-science/beginners-guide-comet-c-2023-a3">Sky at Night Magazine</a> and Robert Massey, the deputy executive director of the <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w_mGtE7282Q&amp;ab_channel=RoyalAstronomicalSociety">Royal Astronomical Society</a>.</p><p id="11d1e1ae-eb70-4e43-aa3a-ab5cb2a93f24">From a dark-sky vantage point at Mono Lake, California — tucked into the Sierra Nevadas — Bartlett says he can see the comet with binoculars already.</p><p>But comets can change quickly, in a matter of hours. That's because their brightness depends on what type and amount of gas or dust they're emitting, and that can change on a dime.</p><p>For example, in 2007 Comet Holmes suddenly flared up and became 500,000 times brighter in just two days because a pocket of gas inside it had breached its surface, according to <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.space.com/20347-comet-brightness-predictions-difficult.html">Space.com</a>.</p><p>"Sometimes people will say that <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/comet-everest-sky-how-to-see-it-12p-pons-brooks-2024-3">predicting comets</a> is kind of like playing the lottery," Kareta said.</p><h2 id="f9be457b-ee58-4abd-b650-c3903d50bfb8">When and where to see Comet A3</h2><p id="f9be457b-ee58-4abd-b650-c3903d50bfb8">Weather permitting,<strong> </strong>everyone in the Northern Hemisphere should be able to see Comet A3 in October.</p><p id="f9be457b-ee58-4abd-b650-c3903d50bfb8">There are two windows to catch it, one from now through October 2 and another from October 12 to 30, according to a press release from Massey.</p><p id="f9be457b-ee58-4abd-b650-c3903d50bfb8">During the first window, the comet appears above the eastern horizon during a 15-minute window that begins one hour before sunrise, according to <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.space.com/comet-tsuchinshan-atlas-brightening-perihelion-how-to-see">Space.com</a>.</p><p id="f9be457b-ee58-4abd-b650-c3903d50bfb8">However, the best opportunity to see the comet, when it's <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.astronomy.com/observing/comet-tsuchinshan-atlas-may-soon-become-bright/">closest to Earth</a>, is during the second window. After sunset, it will shine in the west, just to the left of the Big Dipper's handle, making for a more schedule-friendly viewing time.</p><h2 id="f584376a-e5c8-4cf2-9b77-2d6434dabfc3">Where to go and what to bring</h2><p>For the best viewing, you should drive far from the city and gaze into a very dark sky. Check Business Insider's list of <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/darkest-skies-by-state-watch-space-events-stargazing">dark-sky spots in each state</a>.</p><div type="image" title="night sky with meteors shooting stars bright white streaks and one extra bright fireball above a rocky hillside of evergreen trees" height="681" width="1024" msid="113849895" hostid="261" sizebytes="82586"></div><p>If that's not an option, though, find a relatively dark spot outside the worst of the <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/what-dark-skies-look-like-how-many-more-stars-than-cities-suburbs">city lights</a> — maybe on a hill or just outside the city — where you can face away from any major light sources to look toward Comet A3.</p><p>"Even if you live in an area with lots and lots of street lights, lots of smog, lots of smoke, lots of whatever, you still ought to go for it," Kareta said.</p><p>Check the weather before you go. If it will be cloudy all night, for example, you may want to plan for another evening. Bring warm layers and a chair or blanket to lay back on. Without support, you might be surprised how quickly your neck gets tired of craning back to <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-see-exploding-star-nova-nasa-says-expect-soon-2024-3">look at the stars</a>.</p><p>If you have binoculars or a telescope, bring them. There's no guarantee of naked-eye visibility. In some cities, you can check out binoculars or a telescope from your local library.</p><p>Especially if you're a beginner, you may want to download a skywatching app like Sky Safari ($4.99 in the App Store) or pull up a website like Stellarium (free) on your phone. Once you're on the ground, that will help you pinpoint where the comet is in the sky.</p><h2 id="b4523206-0dfd-4a5e-acaf-d6a8ee9de2a4">How to look for the comet</h2><p id="b4523206-0dfd-4a5e-acaf-d6a8ee9de2a4">Finding a comet in the sky is harder than you might think. You'll need to know a few tips and techniques.</p><p id="b4523206-0dfd-4a5e-acaf-d6a8ee9de2a4">Once you reach your comet-watching spot, it can help to open your skywatching app to identify exactly where the comet is in the sky, near a constellation you recognize — like the Big Dipper.</p><p>Then give your eyes at least 30 minutes to adjust to the dark. Try not to look at your phone. Even a small burst of blue light is enough to reset your eyes.</p><p>If the comet doesn't immediately jump out to you, try scanning around the area. Your peripheral vision is more sensitive to faint objects, so you might spot it in the corner of your eye.</p><p><a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/green-comet-ztf-what-look-like-see-photos-2023-1">You're looking for</a> a smudge, slightly bigger than a star. It won't twinkle like the stars do, and it will look a bit blurrier, with less defined borders. It might appear elongated because of the comet's tail, which is dust and gas flowing off its icy body.</p><p>"If you look at it and it looks like it's behaving differently than some of the stars nearby, that's a really good sign that you've picked up on the right thing," Kareta said.</p><p>If you're still not sure, try taking a long-exposure photo with your phone. This is built into most phone cameras' nighttime settings. (Hint: Turn your brightness down to protect your eyes.)</p><p>The long exposure will provide a clearer image of the comet than your eyes can.</p><p id="b4523206-0dfd-4a5e-acaf-d6a8ee9de2a4">If you can't find Comet A3 at all, Kareta recommends trying again a few days later.</p><p>"Go one night out, and then take a night off, and go back out. You'll know better how to time it, how to get ready," he said.</p><h2 id="4dc3ee16-f7a1-4a12-9138-5ef798a3a762">How to photograph the comet</h2><p id="b4523206-0dfd-4a5e-acaf-d6a8ee9de2a4">If your phone isn't picking up the comet, a DSLR camera might do the trick. Massey recommends taking a series of exposures.</p><p id="b4523206-0dfd-4a5e-acaf-d6a8ee9de2a4">You can also hold your phone camera up to the lens of your binoculars or telescope to take a picture through it. That method can be tricky, so it helps to practice a bit in advance.</p><p id="b4523206-0dfd-4a5e-acaf-d6a8ee9de2a4">After this, Comet A3 won't return for tens of thousands of years. "See it now or lose your chance," Kareta said.</p>

How to see Comet A3, which could be the best comet in a decade. Neanderthals walked the Earth last time it flew by.

<ul><li><keyword id="9531572" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="comet-neowise">Comet Neowise</keyword> will the first comet to burn bright over Earth’s skies after <keyword id="9066921" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="comet-atlas">Comet Atlas</keyword> and Swan fizzled out earlier this year. <br /></li><li>It will be visible over India for the next 20 days getting brighter each evening.<br /></li><li>Scientists at the Planetary Science Institute (PSI) are already watching the comet and observe that it has a rare sodium tail than burns the same colour as street lamps.<br /></li></ul>Comet Neowise will be visible in India’s skies for the next 20 days as it approaches the Sun for the first time in 4,500 years. It’s the third comet that astronomers were hoping would grace Earth’s skies, and the first one to live up to its promise. <br /><br />"From July 14, C/2020 F3, a comet discovered on March 27, will be clearly visible in the north-western sky. It will be visible after sunset for around 20 minutes for the next 20 days. People can observe it from naked eyes," Subhendu Pattnaik, deputy director of Pathani Samanta Planetarium in Bhubaneswar told the <a href="https://www.orissapost.com/comet-neowise-to-be-visible-in-odisha-skies-from-july-14/">OrissaPOST</a>.<br /><br />The previous two comets, Atlas and Swan, fizzled out before they could become bright enough to be seen by the naked eye. Atlas crumbed to pieces before reaching Earth and Swan was made up of gas, resulting in a much dimmer view than expected.<br /><br />Comet Neowise, on the other hand, will be burning in a blaze of glory in the skies above India — getting brighter each day — before it disappears for another 6,800 years.<br /><br /><strong>They’ve already caught its tail<br /></strong>Scientists at the Planetary Science Institute (PSI) are already watching the comet with a hawk-eye. According to them, Neowise has a sodium tail — something that’s only been observed in very bright comets, such as Hale-Bopp and the sungrazer ISON<br /><br /><div type="image" title="fp_Neowise_Carl" msid="76953333" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Left: light reflected off of cometary dust, which generally follows the appearance to the naked eye. Right: light emitted by sodium atoms.&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div><br />Unlike the <keyword id="9571123" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="comet-tail">comet tail</keyword> that we see down on Earth, Neowise’s sodium tail is narrower, longer and points directly away from the Sun making it very difficult to catch on camera.<br /><br />"Atomic sodium responds to sunlight in a similar way to cometary dust, but its momentum kick comes from a very particular wavelength of yellow light – the same colour seen in sodium vapour street lamps," said Planetary Science Institute Senior Scientist <a href="https://psi.edu/news/neowisesodiumtail">Jeffrey Morgenthaler</a>.<br /><br />Comets are essentially icy dirtballs. Their tails are made up of dust, gas and plasma — ionised gas. As they approach the sun, the heat from the sunlight causes the ice to turn into gas. As the gas escapes, it drags ‘material’ — what we Earthlings refer to as dust — with it. <br /><br />As sunlight reflects off the dust, the momentum causes it to drift away from the Sun. However, some of the bigger pieces don’t just float away. The heavier bits stick around and form the tail of the comet. As the light gets re-emitted in a random direction, we catch the view of the comet’s tail down on Earth. <br /><br /><strong>SEE ALSO:<br /><a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/science/news/3-missions-to-mars-launch-this-month-from-nasa-china-and-the-united-arab-emirates-heres-what-theyll-do-on-the-red-planet/articleshow/76949688.cms">3 missions to Mars launch this month, from NASA, China, and the United Arab Emirates — here's what they'll do on the red planet</a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/science/space/news/nasa-new-rules-to-protect-mars-and-moon-from-earth-germs/articleshow/76906055.cms">NASA issues new guidelines to protect the Moon and Mars from Earth's germs</a><br /><br /></strong><a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/science/space/news/nasas-latest-pictures-from-mars-are-fascinating-showing-where-the-curiosity-rover-is-headed-next/articleshow/76825564.cms"><strong>NASA's latest pictures from Mars are fascinating — showing where the Curiosity rover is headed next</strong></a><br />

Comet Neowise will burn bright over India for the next 20 days after two earlier comets fizzled out

<br /><br /><ul><li><keyword id="9066921" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="comet-atlas">Comet ATLAS</keyword> not only supposed to be <keyword id="9066923" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="brightest-comet-of-2020">brightest comet of 2020</keyword> — but the brightest to fly over Earth in over two decades.<br /></li><li>However, a network of 60 telescopes by citizen astronomers was able to determine that it’s falling apart instead.<br /></li><li>Instead of breaking records, it’s now a part of the long line of comets that were destined for greatness but fell short at the end of the day. <br /></li></ul>Comet ATLAS was supposed to be the brightest comet of 2020 — so bright that people would be able to see it zoom past Earth’s skies visible to the naked eye. Some say it would have been the brightest comet in over two decades to fall to our planet. <br /><br />As its deadline reared closer, instead of becoming brighter, the comet seemed like it was rapidly starting to disappear.<br /><br />Using 60 <a href="https://seti.org/press-release/fragmentation-comet-atlas-observed-first-crowd-sourced-pictures-citizen-astronomers">eVscopes</a> — 40 users in Europe and another 20 in the US — a digital network of telescopes with Unistellar was able to crowdsource images of Comet ATLAS. They were able to determine that it was disintegrating instead.<br /><br />All the data was brought together to create a ‘super image’ of the comet showing its tail, its coma and its eerie green glow that indicates the presence of cyanide gas. Super images taken over three days show that the centre of the comet — the nucleus — is indeed falling apart.<br /><br />“We’ve combined observations from multiple users to produce a highly accurate observing record of Comet ATLAS,” explained <a href="https://seti.org/press-release/fragmentation-comet-atlas-observed-first-crowd-sourced-pictures-citizen-astronomers">Arnaud Malvache</a>, Chief Technology Officer at Unistellar.<br /><br /><br /><strong>Comet ATLAS grew 4,000 times brighter in just a month<br /></strong>Comet ATLAS was first discovered in December 2019 by astronomers in Hawaii. At the time, it was as dim as can be. However, within the span of a month, the comet grew to become over more than 4,000 times brighter.<br /><br />Not only was the massive increase in its brightness far greater than what astronomers had originally anticipated, but it also raised expectations that Comet ATLAS would only become brighter in the coming days.<br /><br />“Comet ATLAS continues to brighten much faster than expected. Some predictions for its peak brightness now border on the absurd,” stated <a href="https://spaceweatherarchive.com/2020/03/16/comet-atlas-is-brightening-faster-than-expected/">Karl Battams</a> of the Naval Research Lab at the time.<br /><br />The comet was on its way to Earth after taking a spin around Mars, not unlike one of the iconic comets in history — the Great Comet of 1844.<br /><br />It was expected that the Comet ATLAS would become visible to the naked eye in early April and by the time May rolled around, its greenish hue would have been evident to anyone in the northern hemisphere.<br /><br />Instead of breaking records, it’s now a part of the <a href="https://medium.com/the-cosmic-companion/could-comets-teach-us-how-to-terraform-mars-6bf24f889fa4">long line of comets</a> that were destined for greatness but fell short at the end of the day. <br /><br /><strong>See also:<br /><a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/science/space/news/nasa-is-visiting-the-largest-valley-on-the-moon-five-decades-after-apollo-18-was-originally-supposed-to-land-on-the-grand-canyon-sized-formation/articleshow/75136145.cms">NASA is visiting the largest valley on the Moon five decades after Apollo 18 was originally supposed to land on the Grand Canyon-sized formation</a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/science/space/news/if-you-think-working-from-home-is-tough-nasas-scientists-are-trying-to-operate-the-2-5-billion-curiosity-rover-without-an-office/articleshow/75153455.cms">If you think working from home is tough — NASA’s scientists are trying to operate the $2.5 billion Curiosity rover without an office</a><br /><br /></strong><a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/science/space/news/jupiter-saturn-and-mars-ignore-social-distancing-as-they-plan-to-meet-the-moon-this-week/articleshow/75132926.cms"><strong>Jupiter, Saturn and Mars ignore social distancing as they plan to meet the Moon this week</strong></a><br />

This comet was supposed to be the brightest of 2020 — now it's falling apart in the skies above us

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Astronomers have spotted a newly-referenced comet that is heading towards Earth. </li><li>The comet is likely to be so bright it could outshine our stars. </li></ul><p>A recently-spotted comet is expected to shine brighter than the stars in the night sky as it passes our planet, according to astronomers.</p><p><a href="https://minorplanetcenter.net/mpec/K23/K23D77.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The comet, named C/2023 A3,</a> is hurtling toward the Earth at about 180,610 mph, per space.com. </p><p>If all goes well, the comet, which last passed by the Earth about 80,000 years ago, will start being visible with the naked eye around October 2024, <a href="https://minorplanetcenter.net/mpec/K23/K23D77.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according to data from the Minor Planet Center.</a></p><p>It could be as bright or brighter as our stars, and much more brilliant than the recent <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/green-comet-ztf-what-look-like-see-photos-2023-1">ZTF green comet</a> that passed the Earth last month. </p><h2>Brighter than the Green Comet</h2><p>C/2023 A3 is expected to reach a brightness magnitude between -0.7 and -5, per space.com. That technical term means it will potentially be <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-see-venus-during-daytime-2013-12">as bright as Venus</a> in our night skies.</p><p>By comparison, the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/what-is-the-green-comet-science-explains-its-glow-2023-1?r=US&amp;IR=T">recent Green Comet ZTF</a> had a brightness of around magnitude +4.6 (the lower the magnitude, the brighter), per space.com.</p><div type="image" title="Comet ZTF is shown against the night sky." height="1500" width="2000" msid="98478948" hostid="261" sizebytes="266958"></div><p>That means C/2023 A3 has the potential to be at least about 100 times brighter than ZTF, and six times brighter than <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/comet-neowise-passing-close-to-earth-dazzling-photos-videos-2020-7">NEOWISE</a>, a comet that grazed the Earth in 2020, according to Ukrainian astronomy magazine The Universe. Space. Tech. </p><p>But of course, these are just predictions, and a lot could happen to the comet before then.</p><p>For one, the comet will have to survive the sun. The ball of gas, ice, and dust is now heading toward our star and it will have to survive its smoldering rays. The critical moment will be its perihelion — its closest approach to the sun — on September 24, 2024. </p><p>Still, scientists are hopeful, according to <a href="https://universemagazine.com/en/main-comet-of-2024-gets-the-name/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the Universe. Space. Tech.</a>, because the comet is expected to be quite large and its perihelion is far from the sun, about 36 million miles away. </p><h2>NASA keeps a close eye out for objects that graze the Earth</h2><p>C/2023 A3 was spotted on February 22 by the NASA-funded asteroid early detection system Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System (ATLAS).</p><p>The system, operated by the University of Hawaii, is made up of four telescopes placed in Hawaii, Chile, and South Africa. These automatically scan the sky to spot potential threats to Earth coming from the sky. </p><p>NASA keeps a close eye on near-Earth objects that could <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/planet-killer-asteroid-could-threaten-earth-in-a-few-millennia-2022-10?r=US&amp;IR=T">hurt our planet,</a> but it doesn't always catch them this early.</p><p>For instance, NEOWISE was <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/comet-neowise-surprise-appearance-earth-unprepared-for-asteroids-2020-7">spotted only three months before</a> it passed by the Earth in 2020. On that occasion, we were lucky and the comet only passed our planet, offering spectacular vistas to onlookers. </p><p>C/2023 A3, however, isn't expected to be a planetary threat. Astronomers think it will pass about 0.5 Astronomical Units, or 44 million miles, from our planet. </p>

A bright comet is heading towards Earth and could outshine the stars in the sky, say astronomers

<ul><li>A new kind of <keyword id="9267327" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="jupiter-trojan">Jupiter Trojan</keyword> asteroid has been spotted streaking through the skies by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s ATLAS system.</li><li>This asteroid has a comet-like tail that’s never been seen before.</li><li>It confirms what scientists have speculated for years — that Trojan asteroids have large amounts of ice beneath their surface.</li></ul>Astronomers have spotted the first known ‘Jupiter Trojan’ asteroid, which isn’t really the run-of-the-mill asteroid that us Earthlings are used to hearing about. Instead of being a composite ball of rock, the asteroid with the official designation of <keyword id="9267326" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="2019-ld2">2019 LD2</keyword> seems to have sprouted a comet-like tail.<br /><br />This is a first for the scientific community and for <a href="http://www.ifa.hawaii.edu/info/press-releases/2019LD2/">ATLAS</a> — a project funded by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (<keyword id="6360409" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Nasa">NASA</keyword>) which uses wide-field telescopes scan the skies for asteroids that might pose a threat to Earth. It has detected over 40 asteroids so far, but none like the Jupiter Trojan.<br /><br /><br />This finally confirms what astronomers have speculated for years — that Trojan asteroids have large amounts of ice beneath their surface. “ATLAS has shown that the predictions of their icy nature may well be correct" Alan Fitzsimmons, one of the astronomers who made the initial discovery, said.<br /><br />                    <div type="image" title="2019LD2_2" msid="75887172" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Stars seem to streak by in the left panel because the images have been shifted and added to follow 2019 LD2, but the comet itself (indicated by two red lines) is almost lost in the crowded field of stars. The same data are shown at right, but with the stars subtracted. ATLAS uses this star-subtraction process (called difference imaging) for all asteroid search images. &amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div><br /><br /><strong>What made this Jupiter Trojan suddenly act like a comet?<br /><br /></strong>Trojan asteroids are those, which follow the same orbit as a planet — either 60 degrees ahead of 60 degrees behind. Even Earth is known to have at least one Trojan asteroid. <br /><br />A Jupiter Trojan is one that follows Jupiter’s orbit, not uncommon for the gaseous giant considering its size and strong gravitational pull. There’s one swarm of Jupiter Trojans orbiting behind the planet, and another orbiting ahead of it, where 2019 LD2 was found.<br /><br />2019 LD2 suddenly spewing ice, dust and gas from its surface could be for a number of reasons. Scientists speculate one reason may that it was only recently captured by a more distant orbit, increasing the likelihood of ice being able to survive on its surface. <br /><br />Another reason could be a recent landslide or impact that brought out ice, which would normally be below, to the surface. <br /><br /><br /><strong>The discovery of 2019 LD2 and its comet-like tail<br /><br /></strong>2019 LD2 was first detected on 10 June 2019. When ATLAS saw it again in July, it saw the peculiar trail of dust and gas running behind the asteroid. <br /><br />Before astronomers had a chance to study the asteroid further, it disappeared behind the Sun wasn’t seen again until April 2020. This time, ATLAS was able to confirm that the asteroid’s tail wasn’t just an anomaly, but a feature that had been with it for at least a year. <br /><br />Not just ATLAS, but multiple observatories — including Las Cumbres Observatory Global Telescope (LCOGT) Network — have been able to confirm its tail using precise measurements.<br /><br />Normally, astronomers distinguish between asteroids and comets by their characteristics and composition. But, increasingly, they have been detecting ‘crossovers’ where the distinction is no longer as obvious.<br /><br /><br /><strong>SEE ALSO:<br /><br /><a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/science/space/news/nasa-finds-hyperactive-particles-in-antarctica-that-defy-physics/articleshow/75882395.cms">NASA finds hyperactive particles in Antarctica — they officially defy all known rules of physics</a><br /><a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/science/space/news/checkout-cyclone-amphan-images-of-nasa-from-west-bengal-and-odisha/slidelist/75868028.cms">NASA pictures of Cyclone Amphan battering Odisha and West Bengal</a><br /></strong><a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/science/space/news/birth-of-new-planet-witnessed-by-astronomers-for-the-very-first-time/articleshow/75860057.cms"><strong>In a fiery swirl of orange gas, a new planet is born — witnessed by astronomers for the very first time</strong></a><br />

An asteroid is acting like a comet — confirming what scientists have speculated for years

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span><a href="http://www.nasa.gov/image-feature/osiris-rex-approaches-bennu">NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center/Conceptual Image Lab</a></span></p><p class="caption">An illustration of OSIRIS-REx in orbit around asteroid Bennu.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>An asteroid-sampling NASA spacecraft with a dinosaur-like name is <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/nasas-osiris-rex-asteroid-sample-return-mission-launching-tonight-2016-9">scheduled to launch at 7:05 p.m. EDT</a> on Thursday from Cape Canaveral, Florida.</p><p>If all goes according to plan, the 1.7-ton <a href="http://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/osiris-rex/about">OSIRIS-REx probe</a> - short for Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification-Regolith Explorer - will reach a dirty asteroid called Bennu in 2018, scoop up at least 2.1 ounces of grit, then bring the largest-ever deliberately collected sample of an asteroid back to Earth in 2023.</p><p>The cost of the feat? Roughly <a href="https://uanews.arizona.edu/sites/default/files/download-media/OSIRIS-REx%20FAQ.pdf">$800 million for the mission</a> (including the spacecraft), plus <a href="http://www.nasa.gov/press/2013/august/nasa-selects-launch-services-contract-for-osiris-rex-mission/#.V9FrZRArJTY">$183.5 million for the Atlas V rocket launch</a> on Sept. 8, 2016 - a total of nearly $1 billion.</p><p>NASA and scientists all over the world believe it's well worth the cost and the wait, since <strong>the tiny sample could reveal how our solar system formed and help explain how life began on Earth</strong>.</p><h2>A dirty yet pristine asteroid</h2><p>Asteroids are like floating time capsules, since they're made of the same stuff present during the birth of the solar system some 4.6 billion years ago. The space rocks spawned out of a super-heated cloud of hydrogen, helium, and dust, forming before the first planets.</p><p>Aside from a handful that occasionally burn up in a planet's atmosphere or strike its surface, they've floated around ever since, lonely and cold in the void of space.</p><p>Some asteroids are also rich in water and carbon-based materials, and many astronomers think that when Jupiter formed, its massive gravity flung countless ones like this toward the sun.</p><p>They rained down on the inner planets and may have carried the ingredients of life to early Earth.</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table full"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span><a href="https://www.nasa.gov/content/goddard/bennus-journey">NASA</a></span></p><p class="caption">Artist's impression of early Earth being bombarded with asteroids.</p></div><p></p></div></div>If scientists can capture a <a href="https://uanews.arizona.edu/sites/default/files/download-media/OSIRIS-REx%20FAQ.pdf">pristine piece</a> of a dirty asteroid in space - one that's untarnished by a blazing-hot reentry to Earth in a thud in our dirt - they'd get a chance to analyze it and see how strong this hypothesis is.</p><p>According to NASA, Bennu (the asteroid formerly known as "1999 RQ36") is one such dirty asteroid in near-Earth orbit, or <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/content/goddard/bennus-journey">within about 121 million miles</a> of our planet. While this is closer than most asteroids, but the spacecraft likely won't reach Bennu until 2018.</p><p>Once it arrives, OSIRIS-REx will first <a href="http://www.nasa.gov/image-feature/otes-will-map-mineral-and-chemical-abundances">map the asteroid</a> in 3-D to locate the best sampling sites:</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container"><div class="image"></div></div></p><p>Next it will scoot up close to the asteroid, extend <a href="http://www.nasa.gov/image-feature/tagsam-sample-return-arm">a long robotic arm</a> until it touches the surface, and then shoot out a blast of sterile nitrogen gas.</p><p>In the chaos of flying grit, <a href="http://www.nasa.gov/content/osiris-rex-mission-operations">NASA says</a> hopes to collect at least one 60-gram (2.1-ounce) sample of carbon-laced asteroid rock - about a small bag of chips' worth of weight - in a cup-like sample container. However, the spacecraft is designed to gobble up to 2 kilograms (4.4 lbs) of dust and grit over three different attempts.</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span><a href="http://www.nasa.gov/image-feature/osiris-rex-grabs-a-sample">NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center</a></span></p><p class="caption">An artist's concept of NASA's OSIRIS-REx spacecraft while sampling asteroid Bennu.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>After it bags some crucial samples, the probe will begin a long journey back to Earth starting in 2021 and land sometime in 2023.</p><p>Scientists will then spend at least 2 years subjecting the samples to variety of tests in hopes of learning what, exactly, the early solar system "tastes" like.</p><h2>A risky business</h2><p>This is assuming all goes according to plan, though.</p><p>As the world was recently reminded with <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/spacex-nasa-reactions-rocket-explosion-2016-9">SpaceX's launchpad explosion of a Falcon 9 rocket</a>, putting expensive payloads atop stacks of fuel and oxidizer is a risky business.</p><p>Sample-return missions like OSIRIS-REx are also notoriously complex, given the many instruments and stages required to collect something in space and bring it back safely.</p><p>In fact, NASA has a limited recent track record of sample-return missions: <a href="http://stardust.jpl.nasa.gov/home/index.html">Stardust</a> and <a href="http://science.nasa.gov/missions/genesis/">Genesis</a>.</p><p>Stardust's comet-sampling mission mostly went off without a hitch. However, when the solar wind-sampling Genesis probe's payload returned to Earth in 2004, the landing did not go well - the <a href="https://twitter.com/coreyspowell/status/773797444798865409">sample capsule crashed into a Utah desert</a> because its parachutes didn't deploy.</p><p>However risky the mission may be, the time has come for OSIRIS-REx to launch.</p><p>Here's what the finished spacecraft looks like:</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table full"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span><a href="http://www.lockheedmartin.com/content/dam/lockheed/data/space/photo/pressrelease/2015/OSIRIS%20HGA%20SolarArray%2010-12-15_005.jpg">Lockheed Martin</a></span></p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>And here's what it now looks like now, cradled in the cone-shaped top of its 191-foot-tall Atlas V rocket ride:</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><p class="source"><span>Joel KowskyNASA</span></p><p class="caption">An Atlas V rocket in Cape Canaveral, Fla., which is capped by NASA's asteroid Bennu-bound OSIRIS-REx probe.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>This mission will also act as a stepping stone toward NASA's asteroid redirect mission, where the agency plans to rope an asteroid, tow it near Earth, and send astronauts to explore it.</p><p><em>Kelly Dickerson contributed to a previous version of this post.</em></p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/ways-earth-could-die-asteroid-armageddon-2016-6">4 horrifying ways the Earth could die</a></h3>        <div>            <div>        <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="Zqd2E1NDE6nARld5iMkE-5fvBRxTj6lB" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div>        </div>        </div>            </div>

You Searched For "comet atlas" and got 7 results

Skywatching Alert: Catch this rare, once-in-80,000 years comet before it disappears!

How to see Comet A3, which could be the best comet in a decade. Neanderthals walked the Earth last time it flew by.

Morgan McFall-Johnsen

Comet Neowise will burn bright over India for the next 20 days after two earlier comets fizzled out

Prabhjote Gill

This comet was supposed to be the brightest of 2020 — now it's falling apart in the skies above us

Prabhjote Gill

A bright comet is heading towards Earth and could outshine the stars in the sky, say astronomers

Marianne Guenot

An asteroid is acting like a comet — confirming what scientists have speculated for years

Prabhjote Gill

Here's why NASA is risking nearly $1 billion to suck up 2.1 ounces of dirty asteroid

Dave Mosher

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You Searched For "comet atlas" and got 7 results

​Skywatching Alert: Catch this rare, once-in-80,000 years comet before it disappears!​

How to see Comet A3, which could be the best comet in a decade. Neanderthals walked the Earth last time it flew by.

Morgan McFall-Johnsen

Comet Neowise will burn bright over India for the next 20 days after two earlier comets fizzled out

Prabhjote Gill

This comet was supposed to be the brightest of 2020 — now it's falling apart in the skies above us

Prabhjote Gill

A bright comet is heading towards Earth and could outshine the stars in the sky, say astronomers

Marianne Guenot

An asteroid is acting like a comet — confirming what scientists have speculated for years

Prabhjote Gill

Here's why NASA is risking nearly $1 billion to suck up 2.1 ounces of dirty asteroid

Dave Mosher

Popular Keywords

Buying Guides

Skywatching Alert: Catch this rare, once-in-80,000 years comet before it disappears!