A comet discovered in 2023 will pass by Earth this weekend and become increasingly visible in Central Illinois over the next few days. The comet, now called C/2023 A3 Tsuchinshan-ATLAS, (A3 for short) survived it’s close transit of the sun and will become easier to spot in the western sky by early

ATLAS, also known as C/2023 A3, is expected to be visible to the naked eye for several weeks this October across the Northern Hemisphere, with the best opportunity between Oct. 12 and 26, according to NASA.

Your unusual chance to see a comet in the sky is here. C/2023 A3 Tsuchinshan-ATLAS was discovered by astronomers in 2023 — and will appear to the naked eye over the next couple weeks.

A rare comet is expected to be visible to the naked eye across the Northern Hemisphere for several weeks in October.