When and where on Monday to see it at its best

When can I see comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS? In scenes not seen since the “Covid comet” – comet NEOWISE in July 2020 – an icy space rock is visible to the naked eye in Earth's sky.

This is the best night to look for the comet so far. For sky watchers, the sight could rival Thursday's global display of the Northern Lights.

It's also pretty practical. After emerging from sunlight over the weekend, Comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS (also called C/2023 A3 and Comet A3) will rise into the night sky immediately after sunset.

Tonight, Monday, October 14, is the first of the two best opportunities to see the comet at its brightest and most beautiful from the Northern Hemisphere.

Where is Comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS tonight?

After reaching its closest point to Earth on Saturday, October 12 – at 44 million miles (71 million kilometers) – it will be a healthy 25 degrees from the Sun tonight. That's about twice as far as it was on Friday, when enthusiastic comet watchers first began searching for it.

The result is that it should be visible tonight under reasonably dark skies. You need a good view of the western horizon to see it after sunset. Tonight its apparent distance from the Sun will reach the point where it will appear to be at its brightest and will also appear against a darker sky than before. It will also stay in the sky longer.

Here's exactly when and where to look on Monday, October 14, to see the comet with your naked eyes.

How to locate comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS: Monday, October 14:

Position: West, 25 degrees from the Sun in Virgo

Time: 45 minutes later Sunset where you are

Strength: +0.7

Distance of the comet from the Sun: 55.6 million miles (89.5 million kilometers)

Distance of the comet from Earth: 45.1 million miles (72.6 million kilometers)

Tonight the comet will be visible near the western horizon about 45 minutes after sunset. The waxing moon will be bright and 91% illuminated, making the night sky appear less dark. However, this shouldn't affect comet viewing too much since the moon will be positioned in the southeast (the moon will also be very close to Saturn, which is a second good reason to be outside after sunset).

If you have a completely clear horizon, you will find the bright planet Venus and the bright star Arcturus; The comet will be almost exactly in the middle of an imaginary line between them.

Tonight is probably one of the best times to see it. “As twilight fades on Monday, October 14, it will be two fists to the right of Venus (as seen from the northern U.S.) or to the right of Venus (as seen from the southern U.S.),” explains Sky&Telescope . “As dusk turns to night, the comet remains in view, its long, straight tail pointing upward from the horizon.”

All you need to see the comet is your naked eye, but any pair of binoculars will give you an incredible view.

The best time to see comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS

The observation period for comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS began on Friday, October 11th and is expected to continue until Monday, October 21st, when it will no longer be visible to the naked eye.

Early this week, the comet will be “at its best,” explains Sky & telescope. Monday, October 14th and Tuesday, October 15th are probably the technically best evenings to see the comet. However, since comet observation is completely dependent on the weather, it is advisable to leave the evenings free for the rest of this week.

Why you should bring binoculars to see comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS

Although this comet is visible to the naked eye for the first time in 80,000 years, it is advisable to use binoculars to scan the sky for its presence in the fading twilight and get a good close-up view. But you do it need Binoculars? “They could be if they are looking at/before the start of the optimal window, or from a very light-polluted city where the sky never gets much darker than bright twilight,” said astronomer Dr. Qicheng Zhang of the Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff, Arizona, who observed the comet in an email last week. “From a darker location, especially from the 13th or perhaps 14th (at least until the 20th and perhaps up to another week after that), binoculars should not be necessary to see the comet.” However, binoculars will Improve visibility, he added.

Check my feed every day this week and next for a daily “comet tracker” with sky maps and tips for observing Comet A3.

I wish you clear skies and big eyes.