Astronomy

A rare comet will brighten the night skies in October

The comet will make its closest approach to Earth on Saturday

MARIANA SUAREZ/AFP via Getty Images

Comet C2023 A3 Tsuchinshan-Atlas is seen over the hills near the village of Aguas Blancas, Lavalleja Department, Uruguay, at dawn on September 28, 2024.

Prepare to spot a rare, bright comet.

The space rock is slinging toward Earth from the outer reaches of the solar system and will make its closest pass on Saturday. It should be visible through the end of October, clear skies permitting.

Comet Tsuchinshan-Atlas should be bright enough to see with the naked eye, but binoculars and telescopes will give a better view.

"It'll be this fuzzy circle with a long tail stretching away from it,” said Sally Brummel, planetarium manager at the Bell Museum in Minnesota.

What is a comet?

Comets are frozen leftovers from the solar system’s formation billions of years ago. They heat up as they swing toward the sun, releasing their characteristic streaming tails.

In 2023, a green comet that last visited Earth 50,000 years ago zoomed by the planet again. Other notable flybys included Neowise in 2020, and Hale-Bopp and Hyakutake in the mid to late 1990s.

Where did comet Tsuchinshan-Atlas come from?

The comet, also designated C/2023 A3, was discovered last year and is named for the observatories in China and South Africa that spied it.

It came from what’s known as the Oort Cloud well beyond Pluto. After making its closest approach about 44 million miles (71 million kilometers) of Earth, it won't return for another 80,000 years — assuming it survives the trip.

Several comets are discovered every year, but many burn up near the sun or linger too far away to be visible without special equipment, according to Larry Denneau, a lead researcher with the Atlas telescope that helped discover the comet.

How to view the comet

Those hoping to spot comet Tsuchinshan-Atlas should venture outside about an hour after sunset on a clear night and look to the west.

The comet should be visible from both the northern and southern hemispheres.

People across Portugal reported seeing the comet fragment light up the sky.
bob hatfield
Comet C/2023 A3 Tsuchinshan-ATLAS was taken with Nikon ZF camera and 50mm f1.4 Sigma art lens. 4 Second exp. 400 ISO Oct 16,2024 from road by hayfield in New Fairview Texas. Processed in Pixinsight with blur and noise Xterminator.
Brad McGavock
Brad McGavock
Godley, TX
Brad McGavock
Brad McGavock
Godley, TX
Alex Sabatini
Taken north of Ivanhoe TX with a Nikon Z6ii and a 50mm 1.8 lens on Sunday 10/13
Alexander Sabatini

Name : Alex Sabatini
Equipment : Nikon Z6ii, Nikon 50mm 1.8
Location : FM2554 , North of Ivanhoe
Alexander Sabatini

Name : Alex Sabatini
Equipment : Nikon Z6ii, Nikon 50mm 1.8
Location : FM2554 , North of Ivanhoe
Alexander Sabatini

Name : Alex Sabatini
Equipment : Nikon Z6ii, Nikon 50mm 1.8
Location : FM2554 , North of Ivanhoe
Alexander Sabatini

Name : Alex Sabatini
Equipment : Nikon Z6ii, Nikon 50mm 1.8
Location : FM2554 , North of Ivanhoe
Patrick McMahon
4 second picture of the comet taken at Dinosaur Valley State Park on 10/13.
Skinness-Lawson, Mary
[tint-NBC_DFW] [EXTERNAL] Tonight’s comet
Laura Lynn Stroud
Both pics taken on 10/14/24 in Dublin, TX.
Adam Reynolds
This is Comet A3 on the night of 10/13 at 7:59PM. Best visibility for this comet is from 10/14 to 10/24. Hopefully Kevan can use if during one of his Astronomy segments!
Bob Hatfield
Comet taken from new Fairview Texas on October 14 with Nikon d810 camera 50 mm lens.
Arthur Welborn
Picture taken last night from Farmersville.
drjimcato@aol.com
I took this picture at approximately 8:05 pm tonight of the comet in the low western sky . The picture was taken from my ranch just outside Granbury  
Dr. Jim Cato Sent from the all new AOL app for iOS
dhennig.1007
Sent from my Verizon, Samsung Galaxy smartphonePhoto— Dr.Joe McWherter Location— Walling Bend, Lake Whitney, Bosque County
Danny Voth
Western sky near Muenster
Larry Groebe
I actually couldn’t see it, but my new iPhone does such an amazing job with night mode that it found the comet quite clearly.
Domingo Rodriguez
The comet as seen from in front of my home near Lake Worth, TX, around 8:05 pm.
Keith Stolarek
We took this photo from Terlingua (ten bits ranch) last evening 10/13/2024. I have more on my camera. Keith Stolarek
Keith Stolarek
We took this photo from Terlingua (ten bits ranch) last evening 10/13/2024. I have more on my camera. Keith Stolarek
Keith Stolarek
We took this photo from Terlingua (ten bits ranch) last evening 10/13/2024. I have more on my camera. Keith Stolarek
Keith Stolarek
We took this photo from Terlingua (ten bits ranch) last evening 10/13/2024. I have more on my camera. Keith Stolarek
Bob Hatfield
Comet from new Fairview Texas on 10-15 with Nikon zf camera 50 mm lens. Comet is fading but difficult with naked eye with moonlight also hindering visibility.
Lynda Elliott
This is the October 2024 comet. Taken on Sunday, Oct 14 from Augie’s Sunset Cafe at Eagle Mountain Lake.
Pennye Shockey
The attached picture was taken by my son Jonathan in  Shallowater TX 10-14-2024 Pennye Shockey
Jerry Webber
Comet on cellphone photograph taken 15 miles southwest of Cleburne, about
30 minutes after sunset.
Best regards,
Jerry Webber
Cleburne Tx
Jerry Webber
Comet on cellphone photograph taken 15 miles southwest of Cleburne, about
30 minutes after sunset.
Best regards,
Jerry Webber
Cleburne Tx
Jerry Webber
Comet on cellphone photograph taken 15 miles southwest of Cleburne, about
30 minutes after sunset.
Best regards,
Jerry Webber
Cleburne Tx
Jerry Webber
Comet on cellphone photograph taken 15 miles southwest of Cleburne, about
30 minutes after sunset.
Best regards,
Jerry Webber
Cleburne Tx
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