The one kilometer long comet is expected to pass close to Earth this weekend or early next week at a distance of about 125 million kilometers.
Observers living in the Northern Hemisphere and wanting to see the comet will be able to watch the light of this star, which last showed itself approximately 430 years ago, by rising 1-1.5 hours before sunrise, although it is extremely dim, with the naked eye.
“LAST POSSIBLE CHANCE”
Italian astronomer Gianluca Masi, founder of the Virtual Telescope Project, said in a statement that next week is the “last possible chance” to see the comet from the Northern Hemisphere before it disappears in the Sun’s glare.
Masi noted that if it survives its encounter with the Sun, the comet can be seen on the dark horizon from the Southern Hemisphere at the end of September.
Stargazers are tracking the rare green comet discovered in August by Japanese amateur astronomer Hideo Nishimura, hence the name Nishimura.
“UNCONDITIONAL SITUATION”
Paul Chodas, director of NASA’s Center for Near-Earth Objects Research (CNEOS), stated that people need good binoculars to see the comet and they need to know where to look. Chodas said it was unusual for an amateur astronomer to discover a comet, given all the professional sky research done with powerful telescopes.
Stating that the comet made its last visit about 430 years ago, Chodas said that this corresponds to about 10-12 years before Galileo invented the telescope. (AA)