NASA predicts the comet won’t return for at least 80,000 years unless its course is influenced by other celestial bodies.
The rare comet, C/2023 A3—called Tsuchinshan-ATLAS—will be visible in the United States on Thursday night, offering a once-in-a-lifetime celestial event, according to NASA.
Originating from the far-off Oort Cloud, the comet was first detected on September 28 and made its closest pass to Earth on October 14. NASA estimates it won’t return for another 80,000 years, unless its trajectory is altered by gravitational forces from other objects in space.
NASA astronomer Bill Cooke advises skywatchers to look toward the southwest just after sunset. The comet’s tail should appear between the constellations Sagittarius and Scorpio, about 10 degrees above the western horizon.
The Virtual Telescope Project, based in Italy, will provide a live stream of the comet on October 21. Tsuchinshan-ATLAS is expected to remain visible in the night sky until October 24, before fading and disappearing by early November.
Recently, the U.S. night skies have offered several celestial displays. A major geomagnetic storm brought the northern lights as far south as Texas last week, and the upcoming full moon in October is set to be the year’s largest supermoon, appearing around 14% larger than usual.
This supermoon will reach its closest approach to Earth shortly after 11 p.m. EDT on Thursday. Additional sky events this month include the Southern Taurids meteor shower and the continued visibility of the ATLAS comet.