Local residents tracking ATLAS Comet

Comet C/2023 A3 Tsuchinshan-ATLAS, also known as the ATLAS Comet, remained visible in the western skies in the Mountain Home area last week. Over the past few days, the comet continued to rise higher in the western skies as seen from Earth as the celestial object continued its trek to the outer reaches of the Solar System.

Photo by Brian S. Orban

People in Mountain Home and communities across Idaho took time in recent days to track a celestial object that made its first visible appearance in the western sky in more than 80,000 years.

The object is known as Comet C/2023 A3 Tsuchinshan-ATLAS, or commonly referred to as the ATLAS Comet, which came within approximately 44 million miles of Earth on Oct. 12 following its closest approach to the Sun on Sept. 27.

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