October 16, 2024

Once in 80,000 years

The comet will travel higher into the sky, growing dimmer each night until around Halloween.

Comet Tsuchinshan�ATLAS is seen in the night sky Monday over Clarkston. The comet can be seen looking to the west for about 45 minutes to an hour after sunset. The comet will travel higher into the sky, growing dimmer each night until around Halloween. The orbital period of the comet was calculated to be more than 80,000 years, meaning the last time it may have been visible was when Neanderthals walked the earth. The most current calculations from NASA�s Solar System Dynamics group show that it is on a hyperbolic path, meaning it will not return. In a busy year for astral phenomenon, from auroras to comets, the largest supermoon, called the Hunter�s Moon, will rise Thursday.August Frank/Lewiston Tribune

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