Get Ready for Comet E1 Atlas: A Spectacular Show in the July Sky!

Comet C/2023 E1 ATLAS has been over-performing expectations and recently brightened up into the range of binocular visibility at magnitude +10. The comet will probably top out at +8th to +9th magnitude through July as it reaches perihelion just outside the Earth’s orbit this coming weekend. The comet is well-placed in the night sky for northern hemisphere observers through July and August, with key celestial dates including reaching perihelion on July 1st and passing closest to Earth on August 18th. The Moon may hamper observations, but the weeks surrounding July 17th should be ideal to track the comet down.