Two Comets Make Rare Appearance Near Earth This October

Comets Tsuchinshan-ATLAS and C/2024 S1 are visible as they journey from the distant Oort Cloud, offering a celestial show leading up to Halloween.

Tsuchinshan-ATLAS, also known as Comet C/2023 A3, is currently visible in the western sky after sunset and will be closest to Earth around October 12.
The newly discovered Comet C/2024 S1 will be nearest to Earth on October 24, potentially visible in the eastern sky before sunrise.
Both comets originate from the Oort Cloud, a theoretical reservoir of icy bodies far beyond Pluto, which occasionally sends comets into the inner solar system.
These comets are not a threat to Earth, with Tsuchinshan-ATLAS passing at 44 million miles and C/2024 S1 at 80 million miles from our planet.
Observing these comets offers a rare opportunity to study long-period comets, which may hold clues about the origins of the solar system and the potential for life on Earth.