Maybe a bright comet

I have rarely brought passing comets to sky-watchers attention through my column; not because they are rare, but because most comets remain too dim to be seen easily except through binoculars or small telescopes. However mid-October brings a highly anticipated comet into view with its closest approach to Earth on Oct. 12. The comet’s name is Comet Tsuchinshan — ATLAS X2023 A 3. Comet’s odd names derive from the person who first spotted it (usually an amateur astronomer), and a numerical code for when they were found.

Meanwhile Venus dominates the evening western sky all month in the 45 to 75 minutes period after sunset. On Oct. 5 a thin crescent moon will be seen just below Venus.

But we will start our search for the comet on Oct. 13 and 14 when its orbital path into the inner solar system takes it just above and right of Venus. Venus’ brightness acts as great guide to start the search as the comet will move from right to left away from Venus and across the southern sky over the next week. Use binoculars to look for it, though it is possible that by that time the comet will be bright enough to be visible without aid. Only time will tell since comets hardly ever follow brightness estimates.

However once the comet is spotted, follow it from night to night across the southern sky for the next two weeks; especially from the 14th to the 19th when its tail develops. Moonlight may dim the sky some so continue to use binoculars to see the tail. After Oct. 20 the comet will fade as it moves away from us, but take every opportunity to look for it. It could be the brightest comet in some years!

Saturn is well up in the south-eastern sky as soon as darkness falls and is a great telescopic object all month where its rings come into view. It is visible all night until early morning. Jupiter rises about 10 p.m. in the eastern sky with its best views from midnight to dawn. The waning gibbous moon will be near the giant planet on Oct. 20 and 21. Mars can be seen in the eastern morning sky and getting brighter all month while moving out of Gemini and into Cancer; the two zodiac constellations that currently form its background in the sky. A slim crescent moon will be near Mars of Oct. 1.

Finally the Orionid meteor shower peaks on Oct. 21, but the bright gibbous Moon may make it hard to spot the meteors. Look southwest however, one hour before sunrise, when 15 to 20 meteors per hour may be seen around the familiar constellation Orion (the hunter).

Full moon is Oct. 17.