The Sky Right now on Thursday, July 24: Are you able to {photograph} 3I/ATLAS?

New Moon means darkish skies — and your likelihood to strive photographing interstellar interloper 3I/ATLAS shifting towards the background stars.

New Moon happens at 3:11 P.M. EDT, leaving the sky darkish and excellent for observing faint objects comparable to 3I/ATLAS, our latest interstellar interloper. Currently round seventeenth magnitude and gliding by Ophiuchus, you’ll desire a scope that’s on the bigger facet (no less than 6 inches, ideally extra) to nab your personal {photograph} of this historic comet, presumably the oldest we’ve ever seen. 

3I will rise round 5 P.M. native daylight time and is highest round 10 P.M., when it seems 30° excessive within the south. Tonight it’s conveniently near 2nd-magnitude Sabik (Eta Ophiuchi). Once you middle Sabik in your scope, you’ll discover 3I about one area of view away, simply 2.3° south of the star. It’s shifting by a wealthy area close to the aircraft of the Milky Way — which you’ll definitely discover given the large swath of background stars, making it more durable to identify the comet in a single publicity. However, take a number of photographs to see which faint level of sunshine is shifting, and that’s your signal you’ve nabbed a customer from one other star system in your shot. 

3I will stand close to this star for a number of extra nights, so you possibly can proceed to make use of it as a information for locating it for no less than a number of extra days. The comet is shifting west with respect to the background stars, so it is going to seem progressively farther southwest of Sabik on subsequent nights. 

Sunrise: 5:52 A.M.
Sunset: 8:21P.M.
Moonrise: 5:20 A.M.
Moonset: 8:44 P.M.
Moon Phase: New
*Times for dawn, sundown, moonrise, and moonset are given in native time from 40° N 90° W. The Moon’s illumination is given at 12 P.M. native time from the identical location.

For a glance forward at extra upcoming sky occasions, try our full Sky This Week column.