ORLANDO, Fla. – It might take a little work, but a naked-eye comet is gracing Central Florida skies. Comet-Tsuchinshan-Atlas survived its trip around the Sun and is now on its way back into the far reaches of the solar system.
The comet will continue to get farther away from Earth until it completely fades from view later this month.
How to see
Our neighbor Venus is helping to locate the comet. Find the bright planet low on the western sky just after sunset. Comet-Tsuchinshan-Atlas will be in-between and just above Venus and the twinkling star Arcturus.
While the comet is visible to the naked eye, it is very faint in the western sky. It’s best to let your eyes adjust for about 15 minutes.
- Locate Venus (bright object) low in the western Sky
- Comet-Tsuchinshan-Atlas will be in between Venus and twinkling star Arcturus
- Best time to see is just after sunset, approximately between 7:30 through just after 8 p.m.
- Will be faint. Using a cell phone camera will help to locate the comet.
Cameras let in more light so looking through a camera or cell phone may help to see the comet. Binoculars or a small telescope will also improve the viewing experience.
Comet-Tsuchinshan-Atlas will continue to get higher in the sky through the third week of October, however it will also be getting dimmer as it moves further away from the sun.
Comets are large icy bodies that move through space that often originate from the Kuiper Belt or Oort Cloud beyond the orbit of Pluto.
Typically, they are the size of a small town. On approach to the Sun, they heat up producing the iconic glowing head and tail.
Comet-Tsuchinshan-Atlas won’t make appear again for another 80,000 years.
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