See the comet, the Milky Way and the Northern Lights tonight

The Original ‘Halloween Comet’ comet ATLAS (C/2024 S1)may have largely disintegrated as it passed close to the sun on Monday, October 28, but there’s still a spooky-looking object in the night sky on October 31 – if you know where to look.

With the New Moon on Friday, the night sky will be dark this week and the comet will stay “up” much longer than last week, making images of its coma and tail through binoculars and small telescopes impressive.

You might even get two or even three heavenly sights for the price of one.

ForbesThe truth about the new ‘Halloween comet’ that could shine this weekBy means of Jamie Carter

Of Solar activity peaks this weekIn the event of geomagnetic storms, the Northern Lights may be visible in the dark. What will certainly be visible – albeit from a dark sky destination – will be the Milky Way, passing through the ‘Summer Triangle’ stars that the comet is currently crossing through.

Do you know where to look for the comet? See two sky maps below explaining two different techniques for locating comet A3.

Where is Comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS?

The comet is now 146 million kilometers from Earth and shines with a magnitude of +4.1 in the constellation Ophiuchus. He’s getting weaker and smaller every night now.

You can get a good view with binoculars or a small telescope. Another way to see it is by photograph the comet with a camera or a smartphonewith a long exposure image of a few seconds showing this more easily.

Please note: Times and viewing instructions are for mid-latitude observers in the Northern Hemisphere. Check the exact time of sunset where you are and the comet set times are on Stellarium web for times accurate to your exact location.

How to locate Comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS: Thursday, October 31

Position: west, 56 degrees from the sun in Ophiuchus

Time: from 60 minutes after sunset until approximately 10:30 PM local time

Magnitude: +4.1

Distance from the comet to the Sun: 86 million miles (138 million kilometers)

Comet’s distance from Earth: 91 million miles (146 million kilometers)

How to find the comet using Venus

If you look southwest about an hour after sunset, you’ll likely see the bright planet Venus. That’s your guide to the comet.

Above Venus, look at the bright star Vega in the constellation Lyra. Look halfway between Venus and Vega and you should find the comet, but probably only if you use binoculars.

How to find the comet using the summer triangle

Since Venus will sink shortly after sunset – or you may be dealing with horizon clouds or mountains – you can also use the stars of the Summer Triangle, of which Vega is one. Find the other two that make up the famous asterism: Deneb in Cygnus, above Vega, and Altair in Aquila, on the left.

Now create a rough triangle between Altair and Vega by pointing towards the horizon. The third point is approximately where the comet will be. You’ll need binoculars to see it, as well as a dark, clear sky.

What is Comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS?

It is a long-period comet from the Oort cloud, a sphere around the solar system where millions of comets occur. Astronomers think it orbits the sun once every 80,000 years. The coma is about 209,000 kilometers in diameter and the tail extends about 29 million kilometers into space.

Check my feed for a daily ‘comet tracker’, with useful sky maps and tips for viewing the comet.

I wish you clear skies and big eyes.