Comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS captured in amazing time-lapse from space - YouTube - Space.com - planetary science

Like all comets,Tsuchinshan-Atlas (c2023 a3) originated as a planetesimal in the Oort Cloud in the early years of the solar system.Some planetesimals coalesced to form planets,while others are dwarf planets or comets.The Oort cloud is a theoretical construct devised by the Dutch astronomer Jan Oort in 1950 as the origin of comets.It hasn't been directly observed for lack of adequate technology.It is a vast cloud of icy planetesimals surrounding the Sun at distances ranging from 2,000 to 200,000 astronomical units (0.03-3.3 light years) and is in interstellar space.Planetesimals formed the four terrestrial planets:Mercury,Venus,Earth and Mars.We don't yet know if Tsuchinsan-ATLAS will be visible to the naked eye.Credit:NASA Commander Matthew Dominick photographed the comet from the ISS.