How to Watch the Rare Tsuchinshan-ATLAS Comet in October

Stargazers will be able to witness a “once-in-a-lifetime” comet in the night sky this weekend.

The Oort Cloud comet — also known as the Tsuchinshan-ATLAS — will be lighting up the sky starting Oct. 9 through the rest of the month in a rare celestial event.

Comets are “frozen leftovers from the formation of the solar system composed of dust, rock, and ice,” per NASA. They can vary in size, and as they get closer to the sun, they “heat up and spew gases and dust into a glowing head” to form the characteristic tail that can span millions of miles, per the government agency.

The Tsuchinshan-ATLAS comet was discovered in 2023, per NASA. At the time, scientists determined that it came from the Oort Cloud — a region well beyond Pluto that contains a ton of frozen debris. The comet successfully passed the sun on Sept. 27 and scientists said it will come within approximately 44 million miles of Earth on Oct. 12.

Here’s everything to know about the upcoming Tsuchinshan-ATLAS comet including when and where to see it in the night sky.

When will the Tsuchinshan-ATLAS comet be visible?

The Oort Cloud comet will reach peak visibility between Oct. 9 and Oct. 10, per NASA. The comet will be closest to Earth on Oct. 12 and should remain visible for the rest of the month.

Where will the comet be visible?

The comet will be visible in the northern and southern hemispheres of the planet, but countries like Brazil, Australia, Argentina and Peru will have the best chance of seeing it in the night sky.

How do you watch the comet?

The comet will be visible to the naked eye, but you can also view it with binoculars or a telescope to get a better glimpse.

NASA astronomer Bill Cooke recommended a “dark vantage point looking southwest” would be best to view the comet. He also said that the comet would be near the Sagittarius and Scorpio constellations in the sky.

If the weather doesn’t hold up or you can’t escape the city lights, the Virtual Telescope Project will also be hosting a livestream on Oct. 9.

Will the comet be visible again?

After its rare appearance in October, NASA confirmed that the comet won’t return for another 800 centuries – if it’s even able to survive that long.

NASA astronomer Bill Cooke explained that “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.”