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Headless Halloween comet might be a sight to see next week while trick-or-treating

By
Terry Eliasen, Exec. Weather Producer
WBZ-TV Executive Weather Producer
Terry Eliasen is a meteorologist and executive producer of the WBZ-TV Weather Team. He has worked at WBZ for more than 20 years.
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Terry Eliasen, Exec. Weather Producer

/ CBS Boston

BOSTON - In a year filled with comets and other amazing astronomical events in Massachusetts, this has the chance to grab the most attention purely based on the headline.

Headless Halloween Comet

It isn't just hype, there is an actual chance of seeing another comet this month and the timing may line up perfectly with Halloween night.

Comet ATLAS (C/2024 S1) is currently streaking towards our sun. The name may sound somewhat familiar. The comet that was visible last week had the name ATLAS (C/2023 A3). This naming convention is based on who found it, when and using what kind of telescope. ATLAS stands for Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System.

The main difference between this comet and the prior one is their distance from the sun. Last week's comet passed about halfway between Earth and the sun, more than 40 million miles away from the sun's searing heat. 

This new comet is about to make a much closer pass, just over 700,000 miles from the sun.

Given this relatively close interaction, there is a good chance that much, if not all, of the comet may be completely disintegrated. In fact, many astronomers believe that this may already have happened to much of the comet's head. Hence, the "headless" headline.

October 26

The first critical date is Saturday, October 26. This is when the comet will enter the view of the  (SOHO) spacecraft. SOHO orbits the Earth and sun and is about one million miles from our planet. Its sole purpose is to monitor the sun 24 hours a day.

On October 26th, Comet C/2024 S1 will enter the field of view of SOHO's coronagraphs. This is what Comet C/2023 A3 looked like when it did the same a few weeks ago. 

comet1.jpg
Comet C/2023 A3 as seen on October 10, 2024 from the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory. SOHO (ESA and NASA)

You can clearly see the Comet's head and tail. 

comet2.jpg
Comet C/2023 A3 as seen from the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory. SOHO (ESA and NASA)

October 28

The next big date is October 28th. This is when the comet will enter perihelion, its closest approach to the sun.

Nobody knows exactly what will happen during this interaction. Again, the comet could completely disintegrate or it could emerge without a head and still contain a bright and visible tail.

We shall see! The best viewing in the northern hemisphere would occur between October 29 and November 6, again, if there is anything left to see.

We will keep you updated!

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