There's a chance a "Halloween" comet will become visible tonight, with also a possibility of seeing it during the daytime if it doesn't break apart while approaching the sun, according to NASA.
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The ATLAS comet will be visible over the horizon toward the east and southeast, according to Johnston, who suggests having an object to block the sun, if watching, as the comet will likely be nearby. Johnston also recommends using binoculars or a telescope to view the comet when it's visible at night, though he suggests not using either instrument when it's visible during the day as the sunlight could be blinding.
NASA expects the ATLAS comet to reach its closest point to Earth on Oct. 24 as it approaches the sun on Oct. 28, when it will likely be visible just before sunrise. Before then, however, Johnston said the comet would only be visible after sunset while using binoculars or a telescope. If the comet doesn't break before Oct. 28, it should also be visible between Nov. 2 and Dec. 19 as it moves farther from the sun.
Other celestial events have been visible from the U.S. in recent weeks, including another comet NASA estimates won't be seen for another 80,000 years. That comet -- the Tsuchinshan-ATLAS comet -- first became visible on Oct. 14 and will likely remain in the night sky until Oct. 24, when it will gradually rise and lose its brightness before disappearing in early November, according to NASA. This year's largest supermoon -- appearing 14% larger than the typical full moon -- also appeared this week, and the aurora borealis has become increasingly visible in the northern U.S. amid increased activity on the sun's surface. NASA expects more meteor showers and comets to become visible throughout the winter, including the Northern and Southern Taurids meteor showers next month, among others.