The passing of a comet can bring feelings of either dread or wonder. A mysterious celestial event known as the Star of Bethlehem — which was said to have accompanied the birth of Jesus Christ — could have been a comet because it appeared so suddenly, stayed for so long and was seen crossing the sky. More recently, science fiction movies like “Deep Impact” depict comets the size of Mount Everest on a collision course with Earth, prompting more contemporary characterizations of apocalyptic scenarios.
Yet throughout late September and mid-October, a person can watch a much-anticipated comet known as Tsuchinshan-ATLAS (official name: C/2023 A3) with neither religious awe nor fear of existential doom. The most important thing you’ll need to know where to look and have a good view of the horizon, according to Nick Moskovitz, an astronomer at Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff, Arizona. “It should be bright enough to see with the naked eye, kind of starting today through early next week before it gets too close to the Sun,” Moskovitz told Salon. “It’ll be visible as a very early morning comet. So you have to get up right before sunrise for maybe an hour or so, and look off to the eastern horizon. You need to be able to see a good vantage all the way to the eastern horizon. And again, about an hour before sunrise, you may be able to see it.”
This will be helpful throughout the weekend, but by Monday folks in the northern hemisphere will not be able to easily spot Tsuchinshan-ATLAS again for the next few days. The good news for them is that, around Oct. 12, Tsuchinshan-ATLAS is expected to be visible again all over the planet.
