A comet discovered in 2023 will pass by Earth this weekend and become increasingly visible in Central Illinois over the next few days. The comet, now called C/2023 A3 Tsuchinshan-ATLAS, (A3 for short) survived it’s close transit of the sun and will become easier to spot in the western sky by early

To get the best view of the comet, go outside about an hour after sunset and look west. The comet should be visible from the northern and southern hemispheres. While you can see the comet with the naked eye, binoculars and telescopes will give you a better view of it.

Atlas, officially christened C/2023 A3, is expected to come the closest to the Earth at about 44 million miles from October 11 to 18.

Recently, the comet has been obscured by the glare of the Sun, but it will soon become visible in the Northern Hemisphere, just above the horizon after sunset. Look to the west, about 10 degrees above the horizon, between the constellations of Sagittarius and Scorpio.

The Sun has released multiple highly energetic flares, including the most powerful this solar cycle, as well as several coronal mass ejections (CMEs) – fast eruptions of plasma pushed across interplanetary space.

How, when, and where to look to see Comet A3, also known as C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS), this week, with sky charts.

A comet that was last seen at the time of the Neanderthals will be visible to the naked eye this weekend in the Omaha area.