Comet Seen Once Every 80,000 Years Passes Over Earth Tonight—Here’s How NurPhoto via Getty Images

 

Comet Seen Once Every 80,000 Years Passes Over Earth Tonight—Here’s How

NurPhoto via Getty Images

The comet—traveling about 44 million miles away—was observed from Earth for the first time earlier ... [+]

Key Facts

Comet C/2023 A3, also known as the Tsuchinshan-ATLAS comet, was first seen from Earth on Oct. 14, though it was first spotted by the International Space Station on Sept. 28, when the comet was about 44 million miles away, NASA said.

The comet comes from the Oort Cloud, which NASA believes is a “giant spherical shell” surrounding our solar system that’s made up of icy pieces of space debris “the sizes of mountains and sometimes larger.”

NASA estimates Tsuchinshan-ATLAS won’t return to this point in its orbit for at least 80,000 years, but it’s possible another planet’s gravity or another piece of space debris could affect the comet’s path.

Where Can I See The Comet?

Bill Cooke, a NASA astronomer, recommends finding a high, dark vantage point and looking toward the southwest. Tsuchinshan-ATLAS’ tail will be illuminated at about 10 degrees over the western horizon and will likely be between the Sagittarius and Scorpio constellations, according to Cooke. The Italy-based Virtual Telescope Project will also host a livestream of the comet on Oct. 21.

When Can I See The Comet?

The best time to see the comet comes just after sunset and before sunrise, according to Cooke, and it will likely continue to be visible in the night sky until Oct. 24 with binoculars and a small telescope. Until then, the comet will gradually rise and lose its brightness before disappearing sometime in early November, according to NASA.

Key Background

A series of celestial events have been visible from the U.S. in recent weeks. A severe geomagnetic storm—resulting from the release of energy and particles from the sun’s surface—caused the northern lights to be pushed as far south as Texas last week. The full moon in October will also become the largest supermoon this year, appearing about 14% larger than the average full moon after reaching its closest point to Earth shortly after 11 p.m. EDT on Thursday. Other comets and meteor showers can also be seen throughout the winter, including the ATLAS comet—which is expected to appear in late October—and the Southern Taurids meteor shower, among others.