October has become a historic month for astronomy, featuring one of the brightest comets seen in the last hundred years: C/2023 A3, also known as Tsuchinshan-ATLAS or the "comet of the century."
NASA reports that the comet will be closest to Earth on October 12, at approximately 44 million miles away. The best views are expected on this date, but it will remain visible nightly through the end of the month. Bill Cooke, head of NASA's Meteoroid Environment Office, said that the comet will appear low on the western horizon about 45 minutes after sunset.
Discovered in 2023 by astronomers at the Purple Mountain Observatory in China and the Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System (ATLAS) telescope in South Africa, C/2023 A3 has withstood intense solar temperatures, becoming visible in the night sky shortly after. It is classified as a non-periodic comet, meaning it is unlikely to return, unlike periodic comets like Halley's, which orbits every 75 years.
For those eager to catch a glimpse, NASA suggests using binoculars or telescopes for an enhanced view, although the comet should be bright enough to see with the naked eye. Cooke mentioned, "Comets look okay to the unaided eye, but with a pair of binoculars, they'll knock your socks off," during an interview with NPR.
If you miss seeing the comet on Saturday night, there's no need to worry. NASA has confirmed that Tsuchinshan-ATLAS will be visible every night until the end of October.
Additionally, October's night sky will feature other celestial events, including the Hunter's Moon, which will be full on October 17 and is considered a "supermoon." The Orionid meteor shower is expected to peak around October 20-21. Moreover, the aurora borealis, described as flowing curtains of green, red, and purple light, may be visible as far south as Pennsylvania, Iowa, and Oregon on Friday, according to Axios.
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