Comet A3 will now rocket into the sunset – when seen with the naked eye

UPDATE: Early eyewitness reports indicate that Comet A3 is not yet a naked-eye object. It is best seen by taking images, which you can learn more about here.

When will comet A3 return? Also called C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS), the “comet of the year” may have received many titles, but it has been a rather tricky object to see until now – not least because it has been visible just before sunrise.

Comet A3 will now dip from the dawn to the sun’s brightness, approaching our sun until it passes the other side – the sunset. It will reappear at dusk around October 12 for those in the Northern Hemisphere, and should be easily visible — and possibly super bright — for about two weeks.

This is it ORDER more suitable which was the case at the end of September. All you have to do is look west just after sunset to see him and his tail.

Here’s everything you need to know about seeing Comet A3 in October.

Best time to see Comet A3

Comet A3 will approach Earth on October 12, when it will pass about 44 million miles (71 million km) from Earth. This is probably the best time to see it, but the viewing window will be short – the comet will set only about 15 minutes after sunset.

Fortunately, the comet will set about 20 minutes later each night for the first week, making viewing on October 13-18 much easier. At the end of that period it will be in the night sky for about two hours after sunset.

During this time its dusty tail will reflect sunlight precisely because of its favorable position between the sun and Earth. It’s known as the “forward scatter” to astronomers because it scatters sunlight toward Earth—and into the eyes of observers.

When and where to see Comet A3: Saturday, October 12 – Wednesday, October 16

Comet A3 will approach Earth on October 12, when it will pass about 44 million miles (71 million km) from Earth. However, it will also be closer to the sun – just 14 degrees – in the constellation of Virgo.

Sunset in the US during this period will be just after 19:00 local time, with the comet setting later each night, starting about 20 minutes after sunset until over 90 minutes after sunset.

This is the period to see it most likely. It is expected to shine at magnitude +2.8, decreasing to about +3.4. This should make it easily visible to the naked eye.

When and where to see comet A3: Thursday, October 17 – Saturday, October 19

At this time, comet A3 will be in the constellation Serpens and will be about 31 degrees from the sun.

It will be visible to the upper right of bright Venus in the west, moving gradually to the southwest. It will therefore be visible in the dark sky for some time after sunset, although it is expected to shine at magnitude +3.6, falling to around +4. This should make it visible to the naked eye.

When and where to see comet A3: Sunday, October 20 – Thursday, October 31

On October 20, comet A3 will reach about 41 degrees from the sun and enter the constellation Ophiuchus.

This is the last period that Comet A3 will be visible. It will shine high above Venus and draw closer to the bright stars of the Summer Triangle above, though it will drop in brightness from magnitude +4 to +6, the latter of which puts it at the top of the naked eye. free. . During this period comet A3 is likely to be visible only with binoculars or a small telescope.

Check my feed every day this week and next for a daily “comet tracker” with sky charts and comet viewing tips A3.

I wish you clear skies and open eyes.