MACON, Ga. — 2024 has been an all-time year for stargazers.
From a total solar eclipse back in early April, to not one, but two, nights of getting a faint glimpse of the northern lights, we're adding yet another rare astronomical spectacle to the list.
Comet Tsuchinshan-Atlas will be making its closest approach to Earth in its 80,000-year orbit around the Sun until the end of October.
The giant ball of ice, dust, and other rocky particles is around 2 miles wide in diameter, with its succeeding tail stretching a whopping 18 million miles long.
This comet will seem like it is fairly close to us in the night sky, but it is actually still roughly 44 million miles away from Earth even at its closest to us.
The comet has been viewable to the naked eye since this past Saturday night but will continue to be visible for the next week and a half. However, you'll want to look up into the night sky earlier rather than later, as the visual will get duller as each day passes.
With clear skies in the forecast, here's how you can view the extremely rare astronomical phenomenon.
After sunset will be peak visual for the comet, which is at 7:02 p.m. Tuesday here in Macon. The visibibility will be highest about 30-45 minutes after sunset, so head outside and make sure you're looking to the west where the sun is setting.
