Comet Nishimura is easy but inexorably approaching its perihelion , the nigh point to the Sun in its foresightful range . The comet will get there on September 17 , before moving back outward in its four - century apparent motion through the heavens . As it approaches the Sun it is clear , make water it more and more seeable .
Thecometwill be passing close to our planet next workweek , on September 12 . Do n’t worry – it will be at the super safe distance of125.4 million kilometers(77.9 million miles ) . That is almost 84 per centum of the distance between the Earth and the Sun . uranologist cogitate that it would be well seeable to the naked center , but it is presently edge towards visibility .
ⓘ IFLScience is not responsible for content shared from external sites .
.jpg)
The position of the comet in the sky tomorrow morning.Image credit:The Sky Live
It will go along to brighten as it gets towards theSun , but it will be close and closer to our genius in the sky , making it difficult to properly see it in its glare . So if you want to see it right now , you will need binoculars . And be ready for an other or very tardy start !
The comet is presently rising in the early hours of the morning in the East . Specifically , it is presently between the constellations of Cancer and Leo . It helps to be an other fowl rather than a Nox bird of Minerva , as one could habituate Venus around 4 am to find it . The cometwill beslightly mellow and slightly to the left of the “ aurora star ” .
The timing is certainly not idealistic for most , but the fleeceable comet with its long thin tail is one of those spectacle that do not go on often . This is especially straight for this comet , make that the next clip it will be seeable in our skies will be in other 2431 .
The comet will appear in theevening skyfollowing the perihelion but it will be just five degrees from the Sun , so even if it brightens a peck more it might not be easily seen .
The comet was discover by Nipponese amateur astronomer Hideo Nishimura and it received the official name of C/2023 P1 ( Nishimura ) . This is the third comet discovered by Nishimura . The first two areC/1994 N1 ( Nakamura - Nishimura - Machholz)andC/2021 O1 ( Nishimura ) .
