Final chance to see rare comet around Portland

PORTLAND, Ore. ( KOIN ) — The chance to see the rare Comet C/2023 A3 Tsuchinshan-ATLAS is fading as cloudy skies remain across the Pacific Northwest.

Views of the comet have already been spotted in the Pacific Northwest this month, but clouds have made it difficult or impossible to see as of late. The comet is still expected to be visible in the western dusk skies through October 24, 2024.

Portland and much of the Pacific Northwest only have one or two more chances to see this extremely rare sight.

Clouds could break apart just enough Tuesday night to give skywatchers a glimpse of the astronomical event. Southwest Washington locations will have a better chance of seeing clearer skies Tuesday evening compared to the greater Portland metro area.

The best, and possibly last time, to see Comet C/2023 A3 will come during the dusk hours of Wednesday, October 23, 2024, in Portland. Mostly clear skies will give the skywatchers the best opportunity before the comet leaves Earth’s sight later this week.

The visible tale of the comet is due to the comet’s close approach to the sun. “When a comet approaches the Sun, it gets warmer. Heat causes its ice to sublimate into gas, and these gases and dust become a glowing coma and tail that can extend millions of miles ,” NASA explained in a recent comet update.

Early reports of an 80,000-year return of Comet C/2023 A3 have quickly started to fade as new data shows the comet likely exiting our solar system altogether. So, Wednesday evening’s views could be the last Earth might ever see.

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