A RARE comet that may not be seen for another 80,000 years will be visible for what might be the last time tonight.

Comet A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS) will be able to be seen in our skies tonight following sunset.

Stargazers will have the chance to spot what could be the most impressive comet of the year this evening, with a promising weather forecast predicted for optimal viewing.  

The comet is very old, but it was discovered in January 2023 by an observatory in China.

It made its closest transit past the Sun on September 27 and came within 44 million miles of Earth on October 12.

According to NASA, October 14 to 24 is the best time to observe Comet A3, which means tonight might be the last opportunity to see it for another 2,800 generations.

Incredible - Andy's photo from his phone of Comet A3 ((Tsuchinshan-ATLAS) over Sible HedinghamIncredible - Andy's photo from his phone of Comet A3 ((Tsuchinshan-ATLAS) over Sible Hedingham (Image: Andy Whittaker)Andy Whittaker, 62, captured a stunning photo of the comet on his Google Pixel phone last night where he lives in Sible Hedingham.

Andy said: “I planned for it over the last two weeks.

“Here in Essex the skies haven’t been that great and you can only see it at a certain time.

“For something like this comet, I wanted to see it and I wanted to do it.”

Andy said due to the Earth’s slow rotation and the pull of its gravity, the comet appears stationary in the sky and is easily visible for at least an hour.

Visiting - The comet (just right of the centre of the image) is now the closest it has been to Earth for 80,000 years Visiting - The comet (just right of the centre of the image) is now the closest it has been to Earth for 80,000 years (Image: Andy Whittaker) He also took some photos on his DSLR Pentax camera (k3ii 1600iso) with a Rokinon 14mm Wide Angle lens.

Andy said: “I knew last night would be the window of opportunity, so I sat for about an hour and took that.

“The good thing about the mobile is when you take it on your phone, you can see the finished article straight away.”

How to see Comet A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS):

There are multiple apps which can help track the comet's progress, like ‘solarium’, which works similarly to the ‘Aurora Watch’ app for the Northern Lights.

Andy said: “Just go outside soon after sunset to a dark area and look towards the west.

“Find the brightest star, which will be Vega, and just come down a little bit from that and look underneath it.

“Take a picture with your phone and you should see it with the tail - it's just about keeping the camera sturdy. 

“Point the phone, put it in astro mode, and away you go!”