14/10/2024
Comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS is visible to the naked eye this week!
If you want to see or even take a photo of this once-in-a-lifetime event, just take note of these observation tips.
Time
The next several days, you can see this comet ~30 minutes after sunset in the western part of the sky (around 6 pm). The comet will set a little bit later each night. It will set around 7:30 pm on October 15 and around 8:45 pm on October 22.
Place
Make sure that you will observe in an area where the western horizon is not obstructed. This week, the comet will be in almost the same direction where you observe sunsets so think of places like seaside MOA, Manila bay, beaches, and high places like condo and mountains.
Position
The comet is near planet Venus and the star Arcturus. Venus, the 3rd brightest natural object in the sky is on the left side of the comet while Arcturus, the 4th brightest star in the night sky, is on the right side.
Appearance
Even though the comet is significantly fainter than Venus and Arcturus, you can still identify it because it has a dust tail that may be visible to the naked eye if you are in a location with a dark enough sky. The dust tail can be more clearly seen in photographs using long-exposure photography or night sky mode in cellphones.
You might have read that this will still be visible until October 31 but keep in mind that the comet will get fainter each night as it goes away from Earth and into the outskirts of the Solar System. This will make the comet harder to see using the unaided eye so practically speaking, the best time to observe the comet is this week.
I'll keep you updated about this comet in the upcoming days. Remember, Tsuchinshan-ATLAS will just be passing-by because it's just a rare comet in the sky (tswizzle reference) so take time to look up and enjoy the wonders of the universe around you!
Stay safe and keep looking up!
Clear skies!
