Move over Comet C/2023 A3 Tsuchinshan-ATLAS. A new comet, discovered just last week, is shaping up to become of of the brightest objects in the sky this month. Now dubbed Comet C/2024 S1, the comet was first detected on Sept. 27 by the Asteroid Terrestrial-Impact Last Alert System (ATLAS) and officially confirmed and named on Tuesday. Known as a Kruetz sungrazer, the heavenly body could become bright enough to spot during daylight.
Kreutz sungrazers are a family of comets characterized for their super close approaches to the Sun, often within a few thousand miles. Historically, Kreutz sungrazers, such as Ikeya-Seki (1965) and Lovejoy (2011), have often become extremely bright, visible even in daylight. However, many do not survive being so close to the Sun and disintegrate due to the intense heat and strong gravitational forces.
Comet C/2024 S1 will make its closest approach to Earth on Oct. 23, at which it will best be observed through telescopes in the southern hemisphere. Around Oct. 28, the comet will reach perihelion, its closest point to the Sun. Should it survive the approach, the comet might be visible for a few days in the northern hemisphere, potentially to the naked eye. As it nears the Sun, the comet is predicted to reach a peak brightness of -8.3 magnitude, which is easily visible in a pre-dawn sky, according to StarWalk. In comparison, Venus, the brightest object in the night sky after the moon, is only -3.9 magnitude. The comet also has the potential to develop a large curved tail.
Currently, C/2024 S1 (ATLAS) can be found in the constellation Hydra. It has a magnitude of around 12 and is visible through small telescopes. It’s important to note that comet behavior is notoriously unpredictable and data on this new sungrazer is subject to change. In the meantime, stargazers can look for C/2023 A3 Tschunshan-ATLAS once it reemerges on the other side of the Sun in the night sky after Oct. 12.
