Newly discovered comet could be brighter than recent 'Green Comet' in 2024 night sky. Check details here

There is a possibility that a bright comet called C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS) could be visible in the night sky in 2024, potentially even brighter than the recent "green comet". The comet was discovered on February 22, 2023 by the Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System (ATLAS) in South Africa, and was later identified as the same object previously discovered by the Purple Mountain Observatory in China. The comet's official name was given by the International Astronomical Union’s Minor Planet Centre on February 28, 2023.

As per Universe Magazine, the comet has an optimistic maximum brightness forecast of -1 stellar magnitude, which is nearly as bright as Sirius, the brightest star in the night sky. The best time to observe the comet in the Northern Hemisphere will be between October 12 and October 20, 2024. The comet is currently located between the orbits of Jupiter and Saturn and will reach its perihelion, or the point in its orbit closest to the Sun, on September 28, 2024. Currently, the comet is too faint to be observed without the use of powerful telescopes, but it could become visible to the naked eye or through binoculars by September 2024.

Boeing bids adieu to iconic 747 jumbo jets

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The last goodbye

Boeing is bidding goodbye to the "Queen of Skies", Boeing 747 jumbo jet, the first of its kind, when it delivered the final plane to Atlas Air on Tuesday afternoon, marking an end of an era.

A bejewelled career

Since its first flight in 1969, the giant jet has served both as a cargo plane and a commercial passenger plane. It was capable carrying nearly 500 passengers, while also serving as a transport for NASA’s space shuttles, and the Air Force One presidential aircraft.

Technology over legacy

However, over the last 15 years, Boeing has constructed a more profitable and fuel efficient wide-body planes, with only two engines to maintain instead of the 747's four. When Boeing confirmed in July 2020 that it would end 747 production, it was already only producing at a rate of half an aircraft a month – a pace that continued through the final years of the program, Reuters reported.

1,574 jets produced

The last 747 rolled out on Dec. 7, capping the program at 1,574 total in its history. The plane has since completed inspections and flight tests, flying to Portland over the holidays to get a paint job.

The Queen dies slowly

Boeing delivered five 747s in 2022, while in 1990, the peak delivery year of the bestselling 747-400 version, Boeing delivered 70 747s. As different sections of the last 747 – the wings or fuselage structures, for example – were complete, the production line "just slowly started to shut down," said Kim Smith, Boeing's vice president and general manager for the 747 and 767 programs.

While there is no guarantee that the comet will be as bright as predicted, its appearance could potentially be the best comet sighting in a long time. Comets are known for their unpredictable behaviour and fickle nature, so it remains to be seen whether this celestial event will live up to its potential.

FAQs:

What is the name of the newly discovered comet?
The name of the newly discovered comet is C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS).
Who discovered the comet?
The Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System (ATLAS) in South Africa made the discovery of the comet.

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Newly discovered comet could be brighter than recent 'Green Comet' in 2024 night sky. Check details here

A bright comet called C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS) may be visible in the night sky in 2024, potentially brighter than the recent "green comet".