The science fiction family adventure Aliens Abducted my Parents and Now I Feel Kinda Left Out (now streaming on Peacock) begins with an interplanetary missing persons case. A young boy’s parents disappear within minutes of each other as the fictional comet Jesper passes by overhead. The boy, now grown (Jacob Buster), believes his parents were abducted by aliens following the comet’s (cotton candy flavored) tail and plans to reunite with them when the comet returns. Real-world skywatchers will soon have the opportunity to observe the recently discovered comet C/2023 A3 Tsuchinshan-ATLAS, a rare occurrence as it won’t return for 80,000 years.
Comets like the fictional Jesper are classified as Jupiter family comets due to their orbits, which extend around the orbit of Jupiter. Most comets, however, have more distant orbits. They are composed of ice and dust remnants from the solar system’s formation and develop a coma and tail as they approach the Sun.
What kind of comet is C/2023 A3 Tsuchinshan-ATLAS?
Comets are generally categorized as short-period or long-period comets. Short-period comets have orbits lasting 200 years or less, while long-period comets, like Tsuchinshan-ATLAS, come from the Oort Cloud and have orbital periods lasting tens of thousands of years.
Tsuchinshan-ATLAS was first spotted in 2023 and is estimated to visit the inner solar system once every 80,000 years. It made its closest approach to the Sun in 2024 and is now heading back towards deep space, passing by Earth along the way.
How to See the Comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS
The comet will soon be visible in the Northern Hemisphere, just above the horizon after sunset. It is expected to be as bright as Jupiter and visible to the naked eye for a couple of weeks. Using binoculars or a small telescope can enhance the viewing experience.
Don’t miss this rare astronomical event and keep up with comets in Aliens Abducted my Parents and Now I Feel Kinda Left Out, now streaming on Peacock.
