Chance to see 'rare bright comet' in skies above UK

There's a chance that the comet could be seen with the naked eye in the weeks to come

A rare treat is expected to light up the night sky in the coming weeks as a "rare" bright comet is likely to be visible. It is starting to become visible around now, with the best views expected in the middle of October, at which point it may be able to be seen with the naked eye.

As reported by the BBC, the comet was first spotted back in January of last year by the Tsuchinshan Observatory in China. Nasa's Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System (ATLAS) also confirmed it later.

It has been given the full name of C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS), but is being referred to widely as Comet A3. Excitement among astronomers is now growing as it gets brighter and moves towards its peak visibility.

As comets, which are made up of ice, rock and gas, get closer to the sun, the warmth causes the ice to change into gases. This releases dust particles trapped in the ice - giving the well-known comet tail. Comet A3 has already been visible in the Southern Hemisphere and it is now the Northern Hemisphere's turn.

Robert Massey, deputy executive director of the Royal Astronomical Society, told the BBC: "Bright comets are quite rare, so if you do get a chance to see one, take a look, even if you have to use a pair of binoculars to pick out the tail and features. They're absolutely beautiful."

But the jury is out on how bright it will be, with Dr Massey saying: "Is it going to be the brightest comet in 100 years? I really doubt that."

How to see Comet A3

Dr Massey said there were two periods suited to seeing the comet. Over the next week, it should be low in the eastern sky before dawn. You might need a telescope or binoculars to see it, though.

However, from around October 12, chances could well improve. This time, it will be after sunset in the western sky.

Dr Massey said: "You could go outside and say, 'Wow, there’s a comet!' without even needing binoculars. Comets are unpredictable, but we don’t know when the next one will appear, so don’t miss this chance."