‘Comet of the Century’ to appear in Nevada skies this weekend; meteor shower later this month

A just-discovered comet will be visible in Northern Nevada's skies beginning this weekend.

Comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS), called "The Comet of the Century," will be most visible in the southwestern evening sky from Oct. 12 through Oct. 19, rising higher in the sky with each passing day. The full moon (a frequent nemesis for skywatchers) will be on Oct. 17, which will reduce visibility on later dates.

Here's a look at what you'll see in Nevada's night skies in the final three months of the year.

Dates for the rest of 2024's full moons

The next full moon on Oct. 17 will be a perigee full moon, also known as a "supermoon." It's the second supermoon in a row, a phenomenon which occurs when the moon's slightly oval orbit brings it closer to Earth than a typical full moon.

October's moon is also known as the Hunter's Moon. According to The Old Farmer's Almanac , the Hunter's Moon takes place after September's Harvest Moon, when hunters would use bright moonlight to more easily spot deer in recently cleared fields.

The final two full moons of 2024 are the Beaver Moon on Nov. 15 and the Cold Moon on Dec. 15.

2024 meteor showers above Nevada

The end of 2024 is packed with meteor showers, with six showers reaching their peaks in an 11-week period between October and December. Meteor showers take place when Earth passes through the debris fields of extinct comets and meteors.

The next meteor shower on the calendar is the Orionid meteor shower, expected to peak Oct. 21-22. The strongest meteor shower remaining on the calendar is the four-day Geminid meteor shower, which peaks Dec. 14.

The best time to watch meteor showers is when the sky is dark during the new moon phase or before the moon rises. That bodes relatively well for late-night Orionid watchers; the meteor shower will share the sky with a slim waning crescent moon. But it's terrible news for Geminid watchers, who will contend with a full moon during the shower's peak.

Below are the peaks of five meteor showers visible in the Northern Hemisphere for the rest of 2024, with their visual strength ratings, courtesy of britannica.com :

• Oct. 21-22: Orionid meteor shower (medium)
• Nov. 4-5: Taurid meteor shower (weak)
• Nov. 17-18: Leonid meteor shower (irregular)
• Dec. 13-14: Geminid meteor shower (strong)
• Dec. 21-22: Ursid meteor shower (medium)

This article originally appeared on Reno Gazette Journal: ‘Comet of the Century’ to appear in Nevada skies this weekend; meteor shower later this month