The Comet of the Century Will Be Visible From Earth One More Time This Year—Here's How to See It

Comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS makes its closest approach to Earth on October 12.

Comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS (C/2023 A3), dubbed the "comet of the century," put on a beautiful show in the northern hemisphere this weekend. Luckily, this won't be the only opportunity to view the rare celestial phenomenon, which is expected to make its closest approach to Earth on October 12.

The comet was first discovered in February 2023 by the Asteroid Terrestrial-Impact Last Alert System (ATLAS), a robotic early warning system designed for detecting near-Earth asteroids. It was initially believed to be an asteroid before being identified as a comet, according to Space.com .

On September 27, the comet reached perihelion (its closest point to the sun) and dazzled stargazers throughout the U.S. Astronauts living on the International Space Station received a front-row view of the comet, which was accompanied by the northern lights.

Matthew Dominick, commander of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-8 mission, shared a video of the comet to X. "Comet rises above the horizon just before orbital sunrise amongst aurora and swirling satellites," he wrote.

If the comet survives perihelion, it will make its way back to Earth. According to StarWalk.space , the comet will be brightest on October 12 when it makes its closest approach to our plant. During this time, Comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS will be located relatively high above the horizon in the evening sky.

The comet will likely be difficult to see with the naked eye, so plan to use binoculars or a telescope. For your best shot at seeing the rare phenomenon, seek out dark skies away from city lights and air pollution. Plan to view the comet during the early morning hours or late in the evening. Clouds or haze can disrupt the view, so check local weather forecasts.

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