Rare comet to pass over Erie this weekend

A once-in-a-lifetime look at the stars could be possible beginning Saturday at twilight.

Comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS, also known as C/2023 A3, will be visible to folks in the northern hemisphere from Oct. 12-26.

It’s believed that the last time C/2023 A3 was visible from Earth was during the age of the Neanderthals. Its trip around the sun is estimated to take about 80,000 years.

The comet will be visible to folks in Erie on Saturday during twilight — 30 to 40 minutes after sunset — near the south-southwest horizon.

Jim Gavio, the Yahn Planetarium director, recommends using binoculars to find the comet on the horizon before trying to see it with the naked eye.

“Now, as we go from the 12th through to the 26th, the comet will gradually get higher in the sky, so you will have a little better view of that. Although it will be getting dimmer, it will also be leaving the twilight that we have earlier in the month,” said Jim Gavio, Yahn Planetarium director.

The Yahn Planetarium is at Penn State Behrend and hosts public shows throughout the year.

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