Welcome, Atlas! Rare comet spotted near Las Vegas — PHOTOS

Comet Tsuchinshan-Atlas was seen over Southern Nevada skies Wednesday. It was photographed at the Seven Magic Mountains art installation off Interstate 15 south of Las Vegas.

The comet is coming toward Earth and will make its closest pass on Saturday. It should be visible through the end of October.

Comet Tsuchinshan-Atlas should be bright enough to see with the naked eye, but binoculars and telescopes will give a better view. Those hoping to spot the comet should venture outside about an hour after sunset on a clear night and look to the west.

What is a comet?

Comets are frozen leftovers from the solar system’s formation billions of years ago. They heat up as they swing toward the sun, releasing their streaming tails.

In 2023, a green comet that last visited Earth 50,000 years ago zoomed by the planet again. Other notable flybys included Neowise in 2020, and Hale-Bopp and Hyakutake in the mid to late 1990s.

Where did comet Tsuchinshan-Atlas come from?

The comet, also designated C/2023 A3, was discovered last year and is named for the observatories in China and South Africa that spied it.

It came from what’s known as the Oort Cloud well beyond Pluto. After making its closest approach about 44 million miles of Earth, it won’t return for another 80,000 years.

— The Associated Press contributed to this report.