A comet that was probably last seen in Neanderthal times could soon shine in the night sky

() – A newly discovered comet, called C/2023 A3 Tsuchinshan-ATLAS, will make its closest approach to Earth on Saturday. Sky watchers won’t want to miss the event, as it may be the last time the comet will be seen in the night sky for another 80,000 years.

The comet successfully reached perihelion, its closest point to the Sun in its orbital path around the parent star, on September 27, and was visible to residents of the southern hemisphere in September and early October. Now, the icy body is leaving the inner solar system and will be visible to residents of the northern hemisphere between mid-October and early November, according to NASA.

On Saturday, the comet will come within about 44 million miles (nearly 71 million kilometers) of Earth. The comet is making its first documented flyby of our planet, according to NASA. With its orbit of 80,000 years, the celestial body would have been last seen from Earth in the time of the Neanderthals.

According to EarthSky, those wishing to see this once-in-a-lifetime event should look toward the western part of the night sky shortly after sunset.

The comet will look like a bright fireball in the dark sky, with a long, spreading tail. Bill Cooke, chief of NASA’s Meteoroid Environment Office at the Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, recommends using binoculars to get a better look at the comet.

“It won’t fly across the sky like a meteor. It will just appear to be hanging there, and it will slowly change position from night to night,” Cooke said. “If you can see (the comet) with the naked eye, (using) binoculars will blow your mind.”

Tsuchinshan-ATLAS was discovered separately in 2023 by observers through China’s Tsuchinshan Observatory and an Asteroid Terrestrial Impact Last Alert System, or ATLAS, telescope in South Africa, hence the comet’s name, according to NASA.

The celestial object comes from the Oort Cloud, “a collection of mostly spherical comets loosely attached to our Solar System thousands of times (more) distant from the Sun than we are,” astronomer Dr. Teddy Kareta, postdoctoral associate at Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff, Arizona.

Scientists weren’t sure whether the comet — made up of ice, frozen gases and rocks — would survive its trip around the Sun. But the comet appears to be largely intact and “did really well,” Cooke said.

Due to its proximity to the Sun, Tsuchinshan-ATLAS will experience an effect known as forward scatter, which will make the comet appear at its brightest around Wednesday, due to sunlight reflecting off its gas and debris. But because the sun’s harsh glare will block the comet, the celestial body is unlikely to be visible in the sky until a few days later, Cooke added.

If all goes well, Tsuchinshan-ATLAS will return to this point in its orbit in about 80,000 years, but comets can be unpredictable: the gravity of another planet may change their course, Cooke added.

For those who cannot see comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS in the night sky, the Italian Virtual Telescope Project will offer a live broadcast on Wednesday, during its brightest point, and on Saturday, at its closest distance to Earth.

“For many people, and especially children, seeing a bright comet in the night sky is a beautiful, life-changing experience,” Kareta said.

“Although every couple of years a comet may be just bright enough to be seen with the naked eye, comets that have the potential to be easily visible to many are rare. If you can try to see it, you should, and you should take whoever you can with you so they can experience it too.”

The next full moon, which will reach its maximum on October 17, could interfere with the observation of the comet, since its illumination makes it difficult to see other objects in the night sky. Called the Hunter’s Moon, it will be a supermoon and the closest of the year, 357,428 kilometers (222,095 miles) from Earth.

But there are other opportunities to see celestial bodies, as a second comet, known as comet C/2024 S1 (ATLAS), could make an appearance in the night sky in late October, according to EarthSky.

Meanwhile, skywatchers can anticipate a busy meteor shower season to close out 2024. These are the dates of peak celestial activity, according to the American Meteor Society: