Sign in. It’s quick, free and it’s up to you.
An account is an optional way to support the work we do. Find out more.
THE IRISH PUBLIC has been urged to look to the horizon this evening for a chance to sight a comet that was last visible when Neanderthals were walking the planet 80,000 years ago.
Comet A3, formally known as Tsuchinshan-ATLAS, has been billed by some as “comet of the century”.
Tsuchinshan is a Chinese word that translates to Purple Mountain and is named after the Purple Mountain Observatory in China where it was discovered on 9 January 2023.
Speaking to The Journal, astronomer and editor of magazine Astronomy Ireland David Moore said that as long as we have a clear sky, the comet will be visible.
And while the forecast doesn’t appear to be on the side of stargazers, Moore said he is hopeful the weather will play its part.
“We’re very excited about this comet, and unfortunately it’s moving away from the Earth, so the Irish weather is really the only culprit,” said Moore.
“As it fades away, let’s just hope we get a few more clear nights.”
Comet A3 will be visible until 30 October, but the best chance to see it will come tonight as the comet will decrease in brightness as it moves away from Earth.
It’ll be visible at around 7pm and Moore has advised people to “watch the western horizon soon after sunset, as the twilight is fading”.
“So wherever the sun sets, that’s where you look,” said Moore.
“If the sky is clear, you are going to see this comet and it will be immediately obvious to the naked eye, you don’t need your binoculars or telescopes.”
Moore is encouraging people to send their photographs to Astronomy Ireland magazine for consideration of publication in the society’s next issue of its magazine.
“We’ve already been sent a great picture from the Phoenix Park,” said Moore.
“Try and find a place with a clear western line, and you’ll be able to follow the comet for longer.”
He added that “you don’t need a fancy telescope or a fancy camera” as most people’s phone cameras work fine.
And while Moore said Comet A3 is “as bright as the brightest stars in the sky,” he was wary of dubbing it the “comet of the century”.
“First of all, century is not over yet,” said Moore.
“And secondly, there was another comet called NEOWISE during the lockdown.
“But you weren’t allowed to travel because of lockdown and if you didn’t have a clear normal horizon, you couldn’t see it.”
Dr Robert Massey of the Royal Astronomical Society agreed that Comet A3 is unlikely to beat out NEOWISE.
And both Massey and Moore pointed to Hale-Bopp in 1997 as the pre-eminent example of a visible comet.
“Hale-Bopp was the comet of a millennium, not the century,” said Moore.
“We’re going to be able to see Comet A3 fairly bright for around two weeks, but Hale-Bopp was there for months.
“But in terms of great comets that we’ve seen this century, NEOWISE is on an equal pegging to Comet A3 but it’s now over yet.”
Meanwhile, Moore urged people to not become complacent with comet sightings.
“We had NEOWISE in 2020 and then now Comet A3 in 2024, but they don’t come every four years,” Moore cautioned.
“They’re like busses; none come along for a decade, and then two come at once.”
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
The richest country in Europe again depending on charity and volunteers to solve a crisis the people who govern us will ramble back mid January with no vision and same mantra thank god for these wonderful volunteers who have worked free over the Christmas with donations from ordinary decent people to keep these vital services going and doing the work of politians
@Stephen Byrne: any country in Europe who don’t have charities? Charities that exponentially increase their activity during Christmas?
@Stephen Byrne: if it was easy for politicians to spend taxpayers money on every good cause I gather they would
@Stephen Byrne:
More then 24 differant “homeless” charity’s in Dublin alone. Employing over 700 people offering below that number in beds.
Time to clean up the charitie industry.
Then the money donated wll go to the ones who need it.
@Darius Guppy: An excellent example is GoBanyo in Germany, founded by a formerly homeless man, he brought the Duschbus to the streets.
Kitted out with three private bathrooms, one wheelchair accessible, people can look after their personal hygiene.
@Temp Stuff: Instead the fools squander it on bike sheds, bus stops fax machines, travel etc. Don’t mention the hospital. If there was any accountability in this kip, heads would roll and dubious reputations laid to rest.
Jaysus, Glen Hansard would show up at the opening of a phone box
@Niall Boyle: Jaysus, this same comment shows up every year on this same article.
Nearly 15000 people homeless in Ireland now, thanks people for voting Ff and FG back in government, well done.
@Bills n Stuff: And horribly high numbers in the six counties, too.
@Bills n Stuff: you’re welcome
@Bills n Stuff: 15,000 living in FREE ACCOMODATION.
@Bills n Stuff:
Less then a thousand people in the country sleep on the streets. And there is a bed in a hostal for all of them.
Father Mc Ferry? Has stated on radio that when they send out a van to collect someone, by the time they get there someone will have given the person a tent, a sleeping bag, and sandwiches and they are no longer interested in heading back to the hostal.
@Athena: How much did they squander on a Children’s hospital? Nothing.
Little wonder they don’t want anything to do with this 26 pantomime.
Eh you forgot to mention the little known Dermot Kennedy who also showed up to play some tunes!
Government spending money on everything but the homeless and especially on themselves with exorbitant pensions salaries and expenses
@Pauline Cahill:
This is a great chance for the lefty left and Typhoid Mary to pull a good news story by living on the average industrial wage and donating the differance to a homeless charity.
Bunch of chancers will go home to their big homes in the nicer parts of Dublin and preach to the rest of us for the rest of the year.
What happened to the surplus home sweet home money donated.
We were promised the accounts would be made public a number of years ago.
Glen Hansard and age gaps with the women he’s with are very suspect, especially your own from Once. Would rather not have him celebrated still
@Lewis Armstrong: try that again.
@Philip Kennedy: he was being polite. Theres a persistent rumor that Hansard is a creep and dated underage girls in his 30s, allegedly..
Temp stuff a home is an necessity and if previous governments were doing their job 15000 people wouldn’t be homeless of which over 4000 are children how are your kids tonight volunteers work aloside people earning big money
@Stephen Byrne:
Yunkies, drunks and wife beaters are not intitled to taxpayers money. That’s the job of charities.
@H Woo: What a pathetic comment.
The Cranberries dedicated their song Linger to Glen Hansard. He’s akin to that silent flatulence after a spud dinner that just won’t go away.
have your say