MEMPHIS, Tenn. — After the Northern Lights lit up the sky for a good portion of the United States this week, a new object will be lighting our evening skies beginning this weekend.
Come C/2023 A3 was discovered back in 2023 and is visiting from the Oort Cloud. This is the furthest region of the Solar System and makes the visit even more rare.
The comet was visible with equipment in the mornings leading into the end of September and has since crossed the sun as seen in the satellite image below. It has not dimmed or broken up which is good news for those hoping to see the comet.
Current estimates put it at a Magnitude of 0 to 2 in brightness. To put that into perspective brighter objects like planets are in the 0 to -4 range. Some notable stars like Betelgeuse are around 0.5 so in theory, this comet should be visible to the naked eye, especially with binoculars and telescopes.
Starting on the 12th of October the comet will be visible near the western horizon after sunset. It will rise in the sky each night and become slightly dimmer each day. Realistically, this weekend through the middle of next week (12th- 16th) will be the best time to try to view the comet without equipment. As with all comets, binoculars and telescopes do help a lot!
As with all nighttime events, if you can get away from the city lights, your view will become better so consider taking a trip to darker regions.
Weather in the middle of the US including the Mid-South looks to remain pretty quiet so clouds won't be too much of an issue but make sure to check the forecast before going out.