When and where you can see Comet A3 this evening

Now you have a unique chance to see a spectacular comet floating in the night sky.

Comet Tsuchinshan-Atlas, also known as Comet A3, will be visible throughout the United States tonight through October 24th. However, as the month progresses it becomes weaker and moves further away from the Sun and rises higher in the sky.

Of course, your chances of getting a good view depend on the weather.

How to find the comet:

-Have the clearest possible view of the western horizon.

​-Look in this direction starting about 15 minutes after sunset until about 45 minutes after, depending on your exact location. The comet will be quite low on the horizon.

– Binoculars or a small telescope will help, as will being able to keep your eyes away from light to maintain your night vision.

Chief Meteorologist at Weather.com Dina Knightly adds:

– The light from the setting sun can highlight the comet, making it easier to see.

-Many of us in the United States have a good chance of seeing it this evening as cloud cover won’t be bad. Set a reminder so you don’t miss it. Here is our forecast.

Why this is such a big deal:

– Comet A3 will not re-enter the inner solar system for another 80,000 years, if at all.

Scientists expected the comet could break up during its next flyby of the sun on September 27. NASA astronomer Bill Cooke says, “Comets are more fragile than people might think, thanks to the effects that passing the Sun has on their internal water, ice, and volatiles like carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide.”

-​NASA says the comet could eventually be ejected from our universe like a pebble from a slingshot, thanks to “the gravitational influence of other worlds and a ‘jetting’ effect caused by the comet’s outgassing during its solar transit.”

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Weather.com reporter Jan Childs includes breaking news and features on weather, space, climate change, the environment and everything in between.