Rare comet to soar through the NY night sky this weekend: How to see it

New Yorkers should take some time to look up at the night sky this week as there's a chance to see a once-in-a-lifetime comet passing by.

An Oort Cloud comet named C/2023 A3 Tsuchinshan–ATLAS is making an 80,000-year orbit around the sun in mid-October, according to NASA .

Here's what to know.

When was the comet discovered and how did it get its name?

The comet was first discovered almost two years ago in January 2023 by astronomers at China's Tsuchinshan or "Purple Mountain" Observatory , according to Space.com and NASA , but was originally thought to be an asteroid before it was also discovered a month later by scientists at the Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System (ATLAS) — a telescope in South Africa — who realized it was a pretty rare comet that hasn't been seen for tens of thousands of years.

A combination of the two places of discovery led to its name: Tsuchinshan-ATLAS.

Where did it come from?

Comet Tsuchinshan–ATLAS is believed to have come out of what astronomers call the Oort Cloud , which lies far beyond Pluto. NASA describes the Oort Cloud as giant spherical shell of icy space debris that surrounds our solar system. It's home to many long-period comets.

When's the best time to see the comet?

The comet's closest approach to Earth and best opportunity to view it is on Saturday, Oct. 12, according to USA TODAY .

However, Rochester Museum and Science Center planetarium director Jim Bader says comets are very unpredictable.

"Sky watchers have been disappointed many times trying to watch comets during their inner-solar system and high visibility period," Bader said. "It is not uncommon for them to fall apart when they get to the inner-solar system. Hopefully everyone will have good luck this time around. If not, we will possibly have another, even brighter comet at the end of October — Comet C/2024 S1 ATLAS."

How to see Comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS

The darker the sky, the better.

You'll want to choose somewhere dark just after nightfall, says NASA astronomer Bill Cooke. Look to the southwest, about 10 degrees above the horizon and find the Sagittarius and Scorpio constellations as you should be able to see the comet between them.

However, visibility may change by Oct. 14 and could be seen instead between star Arcturus and planet Venus.

Will I need binoculars or a telescope to see the comet?

Possibly.

Even though C/2023 A3 might be visible with the unaided eye, a good set of binoculars or a small telescope could come in handy, USA TODAY says.

Will you be able to see Comet Tsuchinshan–ATLAS during the day?

It's not likely.

The comet probably won't be visible during daylight hours, NASA says, as it won't be bright enough.

How close will the comet get to Earth?

The comet is expected to come within around 44 million miles of Earth on Oct. 12, NASA says, after surviving its closest journey past the sun on Sept. 27.

What will Saturday night's weather be like in Middletown?

Skies will be partly cloudy in Middletown on Saturday night, according to the National Weather Service , but be sure to grab a jacket and maybe some gloves, too, before you head out there because there's a predicted low temperature of around 40 degrees.

What will Saturday night's weather be like in Poughkeepsie?

Poughkeepsie should have good viewing conditions as the National Weather Service says it'll be mostly clear Saturday night but, like Middletown, you'll probably want to put on some extra layers as there's a predicted low temperature of around 40 degrees.

When will you no longer be able to see the comet?

NASA says Tsuchinshan-ATLAS will be gone again by early November.

And what will happen to it once it passes by Earth, you might ask? "It is not expected to draw too near the planetary giants of our system, but eventually could be flung out of the solar system – like a stone from a sling – due to the gravitational influence of other worlds and its own tenuous bond with the Sun," according to NASA.

Tracking comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS in October

The following timeline from astronomy site Starwalk.space provides more information about when the comet can be viewed:

• Oct. 2-9 : Comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS will be too close to the sun to be visible to the naked eye. Observers can see and photograph it with a telescope in the morning, provided they take the necessary precautions to protect their vision from the sun\'s UV light. The most optimistic forecasts say that the comet will exceed magnitude -5.0. If so, it\'ll be visible to the naked eye even in the daytime sky close to the sun.
• Oct. 10-12 : The comet will appear in the evening in the Northern Hemisphere shortly after sunset, very low in the western sky in the constellation of Virgo. It\'s a short observation window, but visible with the naked eye. The best time to see the comet will be as it makes its closest approach to Earth around Oct. 12.
• Oct. 13-14 : Comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS will lose some of its brightness, but will move farther from the sun making it easier to see. It will be visible with the naked eye in the evening about an hour after sunset.
• Oct. 15-19 : The comet may produce what\'s called an anti-tail — a bright streak that appears to be pointing toward the Sun, opposite the other tails.
• Oct. 20-31 : The comet will be visible with binoculars and telescopes.

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Other astronomical events happening in October 2024, per NASA

If you plan on observing the night sky this month, according to NASA , keep the following dates in mind for October 2024:

• All month – Look for Venus low in the west just after sunset. Saturn can be seen toward the southeast as soon as it gets dark. Mars rises around midnight and Jupiter rises in the first half of the night (rising earlier as the month goes on).
• October 11 – Europa is easily observable to one side of Jupiter by itself this morning using binoculars.
• October 14-31 – Comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS) becomes visible low in the west following sunset. If the comet's tail is well-illuminated by sunlight, it could be visible to the unaided eye. The first week and a half (Oct. 14-24) is the best time to observe, using binoculars or a small telescope.
• October 13-14 – After dark both nights, look for the nearly full Moon with Saturn toward the southeast.
• October 17 – Full moon.
• October 20 – The Moon rises near Jupiter, with the giant planet looking extremely bright. You should be able to find them low in the east after around 10 pm.
• October 23-24 – Early risers will be able to spot Mars together with the Moon, high overhead in the south both mornings.
• October 25 – Europa is easily observable to one side of Jupiter by itself this morning using binoculars.

Contributing: USA TODAY

This story was updated to add new information.

Emily Barnes reports on consumer-related issues for the USA TODAY Network’s New York Connect Team, focusing on scam and recall-related topics. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram @byemilybarnes . Get in touch at ebarnes@gannett.com .

This article originally appeared on Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: Rare comet to soar through the NY night sky this weekend: How to see it