How to See a Bright, Rare Comet from Massachusetts This Weekend

There are a lot of beautiful things you can see from the night sky. I think sometimes with our busy schedules especially nowadays we take for granted the beautiful sights mother nature provides us. Many times during the year even in Massachusetts you can view constellations, shooting stars, and interesting planes. You just need to stop and look around once in a while.

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One opportunity you don't want to pass on this weekend according to multiple media sources is a rare comet named Tsuchinshan-Atlas which will make its closest pass toward Earth this Saturday. This means you shouldn't have a hard time viewing it as long as there are clear enough skies.

Is This Comet Really Worth Seeing? 

You may be wondering why you should care about seeing this comet. Great question. Though the comet will be visible (on clear nights) through the end of October, the best time to see it will be on the evening of Oct. 12. If you miss it on Saturday and don't bother to view it for the rest of month you won't have a chance to view this particular comet again because it won’t return for another 80,000 years.

Will The Comet Be Visible from Massachusetts? 

Absolutely. The comet should be visible from both the Northern and Southern Hemispheres so no matter where you live in Massachusetts, Boston, Springfield, or Worcester, etc. you should be able to view it. All you have to do is walk outside about an hour after sunset on a clear night in October and look to the west.

Thinking about an opportunity like this I'm reminded of the famous line from Ferris Bueller's Day Off, "Life moves pretty fast. If you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it."