Newly discovered comet C/2024 S1 will light up Earth’s skies in late October before flying very close to the Sun. During the first half of October, the ultra-bright comet known as Zuqinshan-ATLAS will be visible to the naked eye in parts of the sky during the late night and early morning hours as it makes its closest approach to Earth in more than 80,000 years.

But it turns out the once-in-a-lifetime comet isn’t the only visitor in town. Astronomers recently discovered a second comet, C/2024 S1 (ATLAS); This comet will also make its closest approach to our planet this month and can potentially be seen without a telescope.

For the past few weeks, skywatchers have been obsessed with Tsuchinshan-ATLAS, which was first spotted in early 2023. The comet was previously predicted to break up as it approached Earth, but it remained intact and will make its closest approach to our planet on Saturday, October 12. It is visible to the naked eye and has been captured in some striking photographs, but it will likely begin to fade away in the coming weeks.

But on September 27, astronomers from Hawaii’s Asteroid Terrestrial Impact Latest Warning System (ATLAS) project, which was involved in the discovery of Tsuchinshan-ATLAS, first detected C/2024 S1. The newly discovered comet was initially named “A11bP7I”, but after subsequent observations confirmed its existence, it was given a new official name.
virtual telescope project. Little is known about C/2024 S1’s size, shape, and orbit around the Sun. However, it likely originates from the Oort Cloud, a large reservoir of comets and other icy objects near the edge of the Solar System, which probably hasn’t been this close to the sun in centuries.

The newly discovered comet will make its closest approach to Earth on October 24, coming within 81.8 million miles (131.6 million km) of our planet. In four days, on October 28, it will reach its closest point to the Sun, or perihelion, and fly past our own star at a distance of about 765,000 miles (1.2 million km).

C/2024 S1 is what astronomers call the “solar player” comet because it will come extremely close to our own star. If the comet survives close proximity to the Sun, it will be ejected towards the outer Solar System. But the likelihood of a comet surviving a superheated slingshot is unknown.

On April 8, astronomers spotted another sun-observing comet making its final approach to the sun on the same day as a total solar eclipse that cast a shadow over much of North America. However, it dissipated after a few hours.

Early photos of C/2024 S1 also show that it has a green glow, a rare color for comets, according to Spaceweather.com. This unusual color, similar to the “Devil’s Comet” (12P/Ponce-Brooks) that passed close to our planet in March, comes from dicarbon molecules (two carbon molecules bonded together) found in the comet’s coma and tail.

How to view C/2024 S1?

The comet will be brighter than Venus and most other objects in the night sky at its peak between October 24 and 28, Forbes reports. But it will actually only be visible before sunrise in the southern hemisphere. According to Forbes, C/2024 S1 will be visible from the Northern Hemisphere between October 29 and 31, when it will faint significantly. But only if he can keep his sling around the sun.

If the comet has been around long enough for you to see it, you can follow its journey with TheSkyLive.com. You can also increase your chances of seeing C/2024 S1 with good binoculars or a small telescope for a better view.