7:30-9:30 p.m. on October 19 at ONU Observatory, 800 W Lincoln Ave
The public is invited to a special viewing of a bright comet.. This event begins a little earlier than usual in order to catch the comet before it sets in the west.
Comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS) should have a total magnitude brighter than Polaris, but its light is spread out over a nucleus, coma and long tail which extends about 8 degrees, so it may be difficult to find without help.
The observatory will have telescopes and binoculars on hand to view the comet. Binoculars will probably provide the best view of the entire comet. It is recommended that visitors arrive before 9:00 p.m. when the comet becomes too low to see with telescopes.
Parking is located in the Wander Baseball Field lot just off Lincoln Avenue.
As of Tuesday 10/15, the weather forecast is looking good for Saturday night.
If the event is canceled due to viewing conditions, notice will be posted by 4:00 p.m. on Saturday at https://jpastro.net/astro/publicevents.html
