ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – It’s been an eventful week for Albuquerque skies, from hundreds of hot air balloons to a sighting of the Northern Lights. Now, a rare comet is added to the list. It might even be the brightest comet this year.
The comet is something you might only see once in a lifetime. Over the last few days, the Tschuchinshan Atlas Comet has been making an appearance.
Jim Greenhouse with the New Mexico Museum of Natural History and Science said the name means Purple Mountain, which is the name of an observatory in China. Atlas is the program to spot near-earth asteroids.
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Discovered in 2023, the rare comet can be seen easily and has exceeded the expectations of astronomical enthusiasts.
The Rio Rancho Astronomical Society welcomed star gazers to Rainbow Park Observatory and directed their attention just right of the brightest planet in the sky, explaining the differences between Venus and the comet. Society President Laurie Wells said sometimes comets don’t turn out to be very bright, but this one is different.
The comet is expected to be visible through the rest of the month. Click here to learn more about the astronomical society in Rio Rancho.
