Evening Comet and More

Quick. With a cell phone camera or binoculars you can find and enjoy a comet in the western sky after sunset in mid-October, 2024. On a clear October 16, I found the comet was distinct on long-duration photos with a cell phone, but discerning the celestial interloper with just the eye was challenging if you didn't know where to look. A nearly full moon that night, contrails, and airplanes around Chicago didn't help.

Airplane contrails are comet lookalikes. Comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS is lower left.

While you're out, slow down to wonder and to enjoy other celestial highlights. Comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS is the buzz, but within the field of view are Venus, about to dominate our winter evenings, and the constellation Corona Borealis, site of an upcoming stellar explosion.

8:21 PM EDT, (sunset 7:03 PM), on October 16, 2024. Overlooking Lake Michigan, facing south of west; Chicago to right.

Comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS competes with clouds, contrails, airplanes, Venus, Corona Borealis, and stars, while a "supermoon" rises in the east.

Against the October starfield in the background, the comet will appear to move up and to the left from night to night. The moon, full on October 17, will rise later each night and interfere less, but the comet is dimming daily as it heads out into space. Look between Venus (near the horizon) and the Summer Triangle (near the zenith). I saw the comet in binoculars about 45 minutes after sunset, visible to the naked eye about 30 minutes later. Within two hours of first sighting, the comet was lost in the haze.

After mid-October 2024, Comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS appears between Venus and the Summer Triangle. Shown for October 21 with zenith marked in red.

While the comet action is to the west, in the northern sky the star Alderamin in the constellation Cepheus the King is the Golden Anniversary Star of Michiana Astronomical Society. MAS was founded 50 years ago when the light we see from Alderamin first left it. Traveling at 186,000 miles per second, that starlight is just now arriving. Happy 50th Anniversary to MAS.

MAS members will be setting up telescopes for the public to view the night sky on Thursday, October 17, 7-9 PM at Mishawaka Central Park.

Alderamin is the 50th Anniversary Star of MAS.

Meanwhile, the sun is active as it approaches the peak of its 11-year solar cycle. Stayed updated on solar happenings and their influence on earthly nights at spaceweather.com.

Wishing you clear skies.

ADDED October 24, 2024:

Six days of good weather yielded favorable views of the comet October 16-21 (PDF).