Colorado skygazers who have marveled at multiple displays of the northern lights in recent days have another reason to geek out over the next two weeks with the appearance of a comet in the western sky after sunset.

The comet C/2023 A3 Tsuchinshan-ATLAS should come into view for Colorado skygazers beginning Saturday evening around twilight. Astronomy experts say it should be visible for about two weeks, appearing slightly higher in the sky each night, and they believe it will be as bright as the brightest stars.

“Compared to Haley’s Comet, this one is supposed to be a lot brighter,” said Aislynn Mills of Mile High Astronomy, a store in Lakewood which sells binoculars, telescopes and other astronomy aids.

According to the astronomy site Space.com, the head of the comet measures approximately 130,000 miles in diameter and the tail extends about 18 million miles. On a highly elliptical orbit, it rounded the sun this week and is making its way through the inner solar system back to outer space.

“The comet will practically vault into evening prominence during the middle of October,” according to the Space.com post. “On Oct. 12, during mid-twilight (45 minutes after sunset), you will find Tsuchinshan–ATLAS approximately 6 degrees above the west-southwest horizon. Your clenched fist held at arm’s length measures 10 degrees in width, so the comet will stand about “one-half fist” above the horizon and will set (drop below the horizon) about 90 minutes after sunset.”

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