When can I see comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS? In scenes not seen since the “Covid comet” – Comet NEOWISE in July 2020 – an icy space rock is visible to the naked eye in Earth’s sky.

This is the best night yet to look for the comet. For sky watchers, the sight could rival Thursday’s global display of the Northern Lights.

It’s also quite convenient. After leaving the Sun’s glare this weekend, Comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS (also called C/2023 A3 and Comet A3) is currently rising into the night sky immediately after sunset.

Tonight, Monday, October 14, is the first of the two best chances to see the comet at its brightest and best from the Northern Hemisphere.

Where is Comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS tonight?

After reaching its closest point to Earth on Saturday, October 12 – within 45 million miles – it will be a healthy 25 degrees from the sun tonight. That’s about twice as many as on Friday, when keen comet observers first started looking for it.

The result is that it should be visible tonight in a fairly dark sky. You need a good view of the western horizon to see it after sunset. Tonight the apparent distance to the Sun will reach the point where the Sun will be at its apparent brightest and will also stand out against a darker sky than has been the case thus far. It will also stay in the air longer.

Here you can read exactly when and where to look to see the comet with your naked eyes on Monday, October 14.

How to locate Comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS: Monday, October 14:

Position: West, 25 degrees from the Sun in Virgo

Time: 45 minutes afterwards sunset where you are

Magnitude: +0.7

Comet’s distance from the Sun: 55.6 million miles (89.5 million kilometers)

Comet’s distance from Earth: 45.1 million miles (72.6 million kilometers)

Tonight the comet will be visible near the western horizon about 45 minutes after sunset and set about an hour and 20 minutes later. That means it will be in the sky about 20 minutes longer than on Sunday.

The waxing moon will be bright, 91% illuminated, making the night sky less than dark. However, that shouldn’t interfere too much with comet spotting, as the moon will be in the southeast (the moon will also be very close to Saturn, which is a second good reason to be outside after sunset).

If you have a completely clear horizon, look for the bright planet Venus and the bright star Arcturus; the comet will be almost exactly halfway along an imaginary line between them.

Tonight may be one of the best times to see it. “As twilight fades on Monday, October 14, it will be two fists to the upper right of Venus (as seen from the northern US) or right of Venus (as seen from the southern US),” says Sky & Telescope. “As twilight turns to night, the comet will remain in view, with its long, straight tail pointing upward from the horizon.”

All you need to see the comet are your naked eyes, but any binoculars will give you an incredible view.

The best time to see comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS

The viewing period for Comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS began on Friday, October 11, and will continue through Monday, October 21, before it disappears from naked-eye view.

Early this week the comet will be “at its best to observe,” says Sky & Telescope. Monday, October 14 and Tuesday, October 15 are probably technically the best evenings to see the comet, but since comet viewing is completely weather dependent, it’s wise to leave the evenings open for the rest of this week.

Why you should bring binoculars to see comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS

Although this comet is visible to the naked eye for the first time in 80,000 years, it is wise to use binoculars to scan the sky for presence in the fading twilight and to get a good close-up view. But you too need binoculars? “That could happen if you look at/before the start of the optimal window, or from a very light-polluted city where the sky never gets much darker than bright twilight,” says astronomer Dr. Qicheng Zhang of the Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff, Arizona . I kept an eye on the comet in an email last week. “From a darker location, especially from the 13th or perhaps the 14th (until at least the 20th, and perhaps for a week or so beyond), binoculars should not be needed to see the comet.” However, binoculars will improve visibility, he added.

Check my feed every day this week and next for a daily “comet tracker” with sky maps and tips for viewing comet A3.

I wish you clear skies and big eyes.