How To Find It On Friday While You Still Can

There’s still only one comet in town. A lot of unnecessary fuss online is being made about the so-called “Halloween comet,” also known as C/2024 S1 (Atlas), but it’s not yet visible in the northern hemisphere and, in any case, appears to be disintegrating. If we’re lucky it will be an odd-looking “headless” comet come Halloween.

If you want to see a real Halloween comet tonight, your best chance is comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS, which is rapidly moving away from the inner solar system, and getting fainter with each passing night as it cruises through the constellation Ophiuchus.

It no longer be a bright, naked-eye object in the evening sky, but despite now being over 70 million miles from the sun and Earth, it’s still an impressive object to photograph.

The massive comet, whose coma is around 130,000 miles (209,000 kilometers) in diameter, has an impressive tail that reaches 18 million miles (29 million kilometers) into space.

Finding the comet, however, isn’t easy unless you know how. See below for my sky-charts showing you exactly where and when to find the comet.

Comet Tonight: Where To See Comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS

Clear weather is an absolute must, as are avoiding light-polluted night skies if you want to see and photograph the comet.

Although its magnitude of +3 makes it technically visible in a dark sky, you’ll almost certainly require binoculars or a small telescope to see it. An easier way is to photograph the comet with a smartphone or camera because a long exposure image does help it show up more easily.

Note: times and viewing instructions are for observers at mid-latitudes in the Northern Hemisphere. Check the exact time of sunset where you are and the comet’s setting times on Stellarium Web for times that are accurate for your exact location.

Comet Tonight: How To Find Comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS: Friday, Oct. 25

Position: west, 52 degrees from the sun in Ophiuchus

Time: from 60 minutes after sunset until about 22:00 local time

Magnitude: +3

Comet’s distance from the sun: 75 million miles (121 million kilometers)

Comet’s distance from Earth: 71 million miles (115 million kilometers)

So far, the guiding lights to find the comet have been the bright planet Venus and the bright red star Arcturus. However, as October draws to a close, both are so close to the horizon an hour after sunset that they’re unlikely to be visible. So, instead, use the stars of the Summer Triangle to find the comet. Vega in the constellation Lyra should be easy enough to find above due west and, above it, Deneb in Cygnus.

Comet Tonight: How To Find The Comet Using The Summer Triangle

Look to the left of both, and you’ll see Altair in Aquila. Make a rough triangle between Altair and Vega pointing down to the horizon — the third point is roughly where the comet will be. You’ll need binoculars to see it — as well as a dark, clear sky.

Comet Tonight: How To Find The Comet Using Vega

To find the comet tonight, draw an imaginary line straight to the horizon from Vega and make a coat-hangar shape on the left — the comet will be the hook to the side. Scan with a pair of binoculars until you find it.

Check my feed every day this week and next for a daily “comet tracker” with sky charts and tips for viewing the comet tonight.

Wishing you clear skies and wide eyes.