Anza residents were treated to two rare celestial events during the second week in October. C/2023 A3 Comet Tsuchinshan - ATLAS, on a 80,000 year journey through the solar system, was visible in the night sky shortly after sunset from about Thursday, Oct. 10 until about Thursday, Oct. 24.
According to NASA Earth Observatory, the comet, which likely traveled from the outer reaches of the solar system, made its closest transit past the Sun Friday, Sept. 27 and was expected to come within approximately 44 million miles of Earth Sunday, Oct. 12.
As a comet approaches the Sun, it gets warmer. Heat causes its ice to sublimate into gas, and these gasses and dust become a glowing coma and tail that can extend millions of miles.
C/2023 A3 Tsuchinshan-ATLAS was discovered in 2023, identified by o
