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See Comet A3 Tonight: Here's How

Watch Comet A3 Light Up The Night Sky

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Now is your once-in-a-lifetime chance to view one spectacular comet soaring across the night sky.

Comet Tsuchinshan-Atlas, also known as comet A3, is potentially visible across the U.S. through Oct. 24. But it will dim as the month goes on and it moves farther away from the sun and higher in the sky.

Your chances for a good view depend, of course, on the weather.

How To Find The Comet:

-Have as clear a view of the western horizon as you can.

-Look in that direction starting about 15 minutes after sunset through about 45 minutes after, depending on your exact location. The comet will be fairly low on the horizon.

-Keeping your eyes away from light to maintain your night vision will help.

SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - OCTOBER 14: Comet Tsuchinshan-Atlas, the C/2023 A3 Tsuchinshan-Atlas comet, the brightest comet of the last 13 years is captured over the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, California, United States on October 14, 2024. (Photo by Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu via Getty Images) — Comet Tsuchinshan-Atlas, the C/2023 A3 Tsuchinshan-Atlas comet, is captured over the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco on Sunday, Oct. 14, 2024.
(Photo by Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu via Getty Images)

Weather.com senior meteorologist Dina Knightly adds:

- Light from the setting sun may highlight the comet, making it easier to see.

-There is still time to catch a glimpse of the comet with the naked eye, but as it moves away, it may be easier with a pair of binoculars, a telescope or even your smartphone camera may help.

-Try about 30 minutes or so after sunset. Good luck!

Why This Is Such A Big Deal:

-Comet A3 won't enter the inner solar system again for another 80,000 years, if ever.

-Scientists thought the comet might break up during its closest pass to the sun on Sept. 27. NASA astronomer Bill Cooke says: “Comets are more fragile than people may realize, thanks to the effects of passing close to the sun on their internal water ice, and volatiles such as carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide."

-NASA says the comet could eventually be flung out of our solar system like a pebble from a slingshot, thanks to "the gravitational influence of other worlds and a 'jetting' effect caused by the comet’s offgassing during its solar transit."

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Weather.com reporter Jan Childs covers breaking news and features related to weather, space, climate change, the environment and everything in between.