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No domingo passado, em Portugal, foi possível ver o cometa C/2023 A3. Este cometa foi descoberto em janeiro de 2023 e foi visível a olho nu após o pôr do sol. As pessoas deveriam olhar para o oeste por volta das 19:35, mas só até as 20:00. Foi uma chance rara de observação astronômica .

Translation

Last Sunday, in Portugal, it was possible to see comet C/2023 A3. This comet was discovered in January 2023 and was visible to the naked eye after sunset. People were advised to look westwards around 7:35 p.m., but only until 8:00 p.m. It was a rare astronomical observation opportunity.

Exercise: Text comprehension

Question 1: When was the comet C/2023 A3 discovered?

The comet C/2023 A3 was discovered in January 2023.

Question 2: At what time should people in Portugal have looked to see the comet?

People should have looked to the west around 19:35.

Exercise: Vocabulary

(m.) - comet

- discover

- visible

(m.) - west

- rare

- astronomical

Read the full story

▌14/10/2024

This past Sunday, sky enthusiasts in Portugal were treated to a celestial spectacle as the comet C/2023 A3 Tsuchinshan-ATLAS made its appearance in the post-sunset sky. Identified in January 2023 via telescopes from the Tsuchinshan Observatory in China and the ATLAS telescope in South Africa, this comet was visible to the naked eye under the right conditions.

Astrophysicist Nuno Peixinho indicated that the optimal time to observe the comet was approximately 40 minutes after sunset, specifically around 19:35. Interested observers were advised to look towards the west from areas with minimal light pollution. However, the viewing window was brief, as by 20:00 the comet was expected to be significantly lower on the horizon.

Rare Comet Visible in Portugal's Evening Sky Rare Comet Visible in Portugal's Evening Sky (Illustration)

The comet's close proximity to the extremely bright planet Venus might have led to confusion, as Venus was visible to the left of the comet. At the time of its appearance, the comet was about 71 million kilometers from Earth and just over 82 million kilometers from the Sun, significantly closer than the average Earth-Sun distance of roughly 150 million kilometers.

The local Observatory Geophysical and Astronomical of the University of Coimbra organized a guided observation session from 19:20 to 20:00 to assist those eager to spot this rare event. For those who missed Sunday's opportunity, Peixinho noted that the comet might still be visible over the next week, though possibly only with a telescope as it dims progressively while moving away from Earth and the Sun.

This astronomical visitor, originating from the vast Oort Cloud which houses numerous icy celestial bodies, is not expected to return to Earth's vicinity for hundreds of thousands of years. This marks a truly rare viewing opportunity, as the last time this comet orbited near Earth dates back to the era of the Neanderthals, and its path could potentially be altered by gravitational influences from other planets or stars within our Solar System.

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