Starlink satellites to dance with comet tail Tuesday night
On Tuesday evening, October 15, an extraordinary phenomenon can be admired in the sky. Shortly before 9 PM, passing Starlink satellites will intersect the comet's tail.
5:03 PM EDT, October 15, 2024
On Tuesday, October 15, a cosmic "train" of Starlink satellites will appear in the sky, accompanied by the C/2023 A3 Tsuchinshan-ATLAS comet. The satellites will be visible precisely at 7:07 PM in the southwestern sky, but it will be worth waiting a bit longer for the unique phenomenon.
Look at the sky on Tuesday at 8:40 PM
Night sky observers should step outside their homes at 8:40 PM. At that time, in some locations, the Starlink satellites will cut through the comet's tail as it approaches the western horizon, as reported on nocneniebo.pl.
Let's remember that the aforementioned comet C/2023 A3 has been visible in the sky since October 13. Images of this object, which has come close to Earth at a distance of 44 million miles, are already appearing on social media.
Its visibility will weaken each day, so going outside on Tuesday evening might be one of the few opportunities to observe a rare phenomenon when the satellites responsible for "internet from space" intersect the tail of the comet located near Earth.
It is also worth noting that in the coming days, another spectacular phenomenon in the sky – the supermoon – can be admired. Earth and the Moon will reach perigee on October 17. At that time, you can expect to observe an exceptionally bright and large Moon.
