Watch: ‘Comet of the Century’ Lights Up Night Skies In First Visit In 80,000 Years

The ancient comet C/2023 A3 Tsuchinshan-ATLAS, dubbed the “comet of the century, lit the skies across the northern hemisphere this week. Comet A3, also known as Tsuchinshan-ATLAS, came within approximately 44 million miles of Earth last Saturday, a report by UK broadcaster Sky News said.

The C/2023 A3, a long-period comet, only returns to the inner solar system once every 80,000 years. First discovered in 2023, this celestial object made its debut in the inner solar system on a highly elliptical orbit, marking its first documented appearance in human history. The comet was identified by observers at China’s Tsuchinshan, or “Purple Mountain,” Observatory and an ATLAS (Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System) telescope in South Africa, with its official naming honouring both observatories.

Stargazers across the world captured photos of the comet and social media was abuzz with time lapse videos.

Videos showed the comet streaking across night skies over US’ Arizona’s Coconino National Forest, Russia, Macedonia and Mt.Yarigatake, Japan.