CORPUS CHRISTI, Tx — You might have noticed we have an ancient celestial visitor in our skies.
Comet C/2023A3 Tsuchinshan-ATLAS (pronounced Choo-cheen-shahn) is a rare, once-in-a-lifetime comet that is only visible once every 80,000 years.
The comet gets its name from those who first discovered it last year, the Tsuchinshan, or "Purple Mountain," Observatory in China and the ATLAS (Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System) telescope in South Africa.
How to spot the comet?
Comet A3 can be viewed by looking at the western horizon after sunset. Binoculars or smartphone cameras with night mode can enhance your view. The comet will be distinguishable from stars due to its recognizable tail and the size it appears in the sky. Although stars are much larger than comets, Comet A3 will seem larger in the sky due to its proximity to Earth.