Say goodbye to Comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS. The comet is now so faint you'll need a pair of binoculars just to see it. The comet is now higher in the western sky after sunset, more easily placed for viewing. However, you'll need some optical help to get a view. A time exposure with a steady camera might render it.

Plenty of folks here and afar saw the comet. The most common comment was it was too faint. For those who remember Comet Hale-Bopp or Halley's Comet this was definitely fainter. When it was at its brightest, this comet reached magnitude 3. We've seen reports that it has now closer to 5 magnitude. Thus a dark sky is essential. The unaided eye can see stars no dimmer than magnitude 6.

If you haven't seen the comet yet, it is unlikely you'll ever see it. The comet is speeding away from the Sun and us in its elliptical orbit. The next time the comet will be back will be in 80,000 years. Halley's Comet will be back a good deal sooner, 2061 and astronomers report it will be ten times brighter than it was in 1986.

By comparison, Halley's Comet only takes 76 years to make its trip around the sun. Comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS is clearly a deep space visitor.