A Thanksgiving Comet

This past week Mother Nature has been putting on an incredible northern lights show which has been delight for shutterbugs everywhere. Social media has been filled with pictures of bright green, red, and yellow northern lights brought on by an intense solar storm. The solar storm has sparked concerns about how it’ll affect electrical grids across North America, which is unwelcome by those dealing with the aftermath of hurricanes.

From northern lights to a comet, backyard stargazers are getting a real treat this week. Tomorrow (Saturday, Oct 12th), comet C/2023 A3 Tsuchinshan ( Shoe-Chin-shan) Atlas will make its closest pass by Earth. The comet was first discovered in 2023 by astronomers in China and South Africa and it will finally be passing by Earth this year. The comet is estimated to be two miles in diameter and is expected to pass within 44 million miles of Earth as it continues along with its long journey across space.

The comet tail is noticeably longer each day. Pause the video at about 15 seconds . . . you can see the tail of the comet looks like it is bending. The atmosphere is more dense the closer you get to earth. Changes in the density of the atmosphere change the refractive index and… pic.twitter.com/vfBBbGeL5x
— Matthew Dominick (@dominickmatthew) September 25, 2024

Starting this weekend the comet will be visible starting just after sundown on the western horizon. Experts say the comet will be visible to the unaided eye, however it’s recommended to use binoculars or a backyard telescope to see it much better, and it’s said to be quite spectacular. According to astronomers, as the month of October progresses the comet will become higher and higher in the western sky before fading away at the start of November. NASA says enjoy the comet now because it probably won’t be around for another 80 thousand years.