A ‘Halloween Comet’ Could Be Visible Tonight—Here’s How To See It
by Ty Roush · ForbesTopline
There’s a chance a “Halloween” comet will become visible tonight, with also a possibility of seeing it during the daytime if it doesn’t break apart while approaching the sun, according to NASA.
Key Facts
Comet C/2024 S1, also known as the ATLAS comet, was discovered on Sept. 27, by astronomers in Hawaii and is expected to become visible to the naked eye starting Thursday night, according to NASA.
The ATLAS comet is likely a fragment of the Great Comet of 1106—a comet recorded by astronomers in Asia nearly 918 years ago—and is likely from the Oort Cloud, a “giant spherical shell” that NASA believes is made up of icy pieces of space debris “the sizes of mountains and sometimes larger.”
Gordon Johnston, a former program executive at NASA, said it’s not known whether the comet will become visible again from Earth, noting it will reach a point so close to the sun that the sunlight may cause it to “break up and evaporate.”
Where Can I See The Comet?
The ATLAS comet will be visible over the horizon toward the east and southeast, according to Johnston, who suggests having an object to block the sun, if watching, as the comet will likely be nearby. Johnston also recommends using binoculars or a telescope to view the comet when it’s visible at night, though he suggests not using either instrument when it’s visible during the day as the sunlight could be blinding.
When Can I See The Comet?
NASA expects the ATLAS comet to reach its closest point to Earth on Oct. 24 as it approaches the sun on Oct. 28, when it will likely be visible just before sunrise. Before then, however, Johnston said the comet would only be visible after sunset while using binoculars or a telescope. If the comet doesn’t break before Oct. 28, it should also be visible between Nov. 2 and Dec. 19 as it moves farther from the sun.
Key Background
Other celestial events have been visible from the U.S. in recent weeks, including another comet NASA estimates won’t be seen for another 80,000 years. That comet—the Tsuchinshan-ATLAS comet—first became visible on Oct. 14 and will likely remain in the night sky until Oct. 24, when it will gradually rise and lose its brightness before disappearing in early November, according to NASA. This year’s largest supermoon—appearing 14% larger than the typical full moon—also appeared this week, and the aurora borealis has become increasingly visible in the northern U.S. amid increased activity on the sun’s surface. NASA expects more meteor showers and comets to become visible throughout the winter, including the Northern and Southern Taurids meteor showers next month, among others.