Comets are some of the most beautiful objects in the cosmos – balls of ice and rock with tails that can stretch for millions of miles. But they’re also some of the most fickle objects in the cosmos – they don’t always meet expectations. And some fall apart – vaporized by the Sun.

All of that is a preamble to the story of Comet C/2023 A3 Tsuchinshan-Atlas. Over the next few days, it might be visible through binoculars in the dawn sky, mainly from more southerly latitudes. And it could shine even brighter in the evening sky next month. Because we record our programs in advance, though, we can’t tell you how closely it’s matching the forecasts.

The comet was discovered last year. And early predictions called for it eventually to shine as brightly as Venus, which is climbing into view as the “evening star.” It’s no longer expected to get that bright. But it still could become bright enough to see with the eye alone.

The comet will pass closest to the Sun late this month, and closest to Earth next month – about 44 million miles away.

Now, the comet is passing through the constellation Sextans. That makes it a better target for skywatchers in the southern hemisphere. It’ll be easier to see from the northern hemisphere in the latter half of October, when it’ll climb fairly high at nightfall. So keep your eyes open – and your fingers crossed – for a good showing from a comet.

Script by Damond Benningfield