A BRIGHT comet will be visible to the naked eye tonight, before fading into darkness over the coming days.
It will be one of the last opportunities to view the comet at peak brightness before it passes Earth, not to return for another 80,000 years.
Comet C/2023 A3, also known as Tsuchinshan-ATLAS, was previously visible from Earth between 27 September and 2 October.
However, it disappeared from view when it became too close to the sun to be seen from either the northern or southern hemisphere.
Between October 12 and 13, the comet will reach its closest proximity to Earth – at a safe distance of roughly 44million miles.
It will shine at around a magnitude +2 or magnitude +1 – which is how the brightness of space objects are measured.
This puts the comet at a similar visibility to Polaris, also known as the north star.
After this weekend, the comet will begin to dim before disappearing completely around 20 October.
The space rock comes from the Oort Cloud, a giant shell around our solar system that hosts millions of comets and other icy pieces of debris.
It is characterised by the long, two-pronged tail of dust and ice that follows it, which experts say will be illuminated white and blue by the sun.
It’s this tail that also makes it more visible to stargazers on Earth during its peak brightness.
Astronauts Matthew Dominick and Dom Pettit, who are both avid astro-photographers, spotted the space rock before it was visible to the naked eye by using orbital geometry and math.
The pair, who are currently boarded on the International Space Station, caught the once in a lifetime comet on camera – as shown in the video above.
While the comet should be visible to the naked eye, it never hurts to be prepared for a dimmer display.
Having a good pair of stargazing binoculars or a small telescope to hand will enhance the view.
Comet A3 will be in the constellation Ophiuchus above the west-facing horizon.
You can download an astronomy app to help you find Ophiuchus in the sky.
It’s important to note that cloud cover may scupper your view of the ‘once in a lifetime’ comet.
The moon’s light may also interfere with the brightness of the space rock.
Here's what you need to know, according to Nasa...
