Chinese observatory uncovers new celestial body

The Observatory of the Chinese Academy of Sciences has made a discovery, identifying a new celestial body confirmed as a comet. This is reported by CGTN, a partner of TV BRICS.

First observed on 5 January, the comet has been officially designated C/2025 A3 (Tsuchinshan). This discovery represents the ninth comet identified by the esteemed observatory, located in Nanjing, Jiangsu Province.

The comet's orbit lies between Jupiter and Neptune, with a significant orbital period of over 33 years. Its closest approach to the sun is anticipated in May 2026.

The observatory confirmed that the comet’s trajectory spans from 5.7 to 14.9 astronomical units (AU) from the sun, with one AU equating to approximately 150 million kilometres, the average distance from the Earth to the sun.

This latest discovery shows the advanced capabilities of the observatory in exploring and identifying celestial phenomena.

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