If weather forecasts are to be trusted, the next few nights will be clear, making the brightest comet of the year visible due west, shortly after sunset.
The comet, C/2023 A3, also known as Tsuchinshan-ATLAS, is in an Oort cloud on an 80,000-year orbit of the sun.
Over the next week, the comet will "gain a few degrees of altitude each night," according to Erik Schwab, a Springs School science teacher. As it gets higher in the horizon, it will be easier to see, but also less bright. The next few nights may be the best time to find it in the sky, assuming you have a relatively unobstructed view of the western horizon. It will "set within two hours after sunset in the western sky," Mr. Schwab said, adding that the optimal time to spot it is "about 30 to 40 minutes after sunset, once the sky is dark enough.
Scientists at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration say it is difficult to predict how bright a comet will appear from earth, so binoculars may be necessary. Don't expect anything like a shooting star; even though the comet is streaking through the galaxy, it will appear stationary. Expect a blurry looking fuzzy star, and if the "tail" is lit up by the setting sun, consider yourself lucky.
"The tail on this comet is tremendous and a bit easier to see than comet Neowise from July 2020," Mr. Schwab said. "The full moon later this week will hurt visibility, but this comet is a bright one and should still be visible with the naked eye. The comet's brightness starts fading around the 18th as it zooms past earth and back into the outer realms of our solar system."
