Rare green comet 'Nishimura' graces our skies after 400 years; here's when and where you can catch it
rare green comet, named the Nishimura, is making its debut in our celestial vicinity after more than four centuries.
Given that it won't be in our area again for 400 years, Northern Hemisphere astronomy fans only have till early next week to witness this celestial visitor.
On September 12, this comet, which is about a kilometer in size (about half a mile), will glide by Earth gracefully at a distance of 78 million miles (125 million kilometers).
Early risers should cast their eyes toward the northern horizon about 1 1/2 hours before sunrise to capture a glimpse. Specifically, it will be situated less than 10 degrees above the horizon near the Leo constellation.
As it approaches the sun, the comet will become brighter but gradually descend in the sky, making it somewhat challenging to spot.
The comet is visible with the naked eye, however it is fairly dim.
«You really need a good pair of binoculars to pick it out, and you also need to know where to look,» Paul Chodas, director of NASA's Center for Near-Earth Object Studies, told the Associated Press.
Around September 17, the comet will get even closer to the sun than Mercury before quitting the solar system. It is expected, however, that it will survive its close brush with the sun.
The next week, according to Italian astronomer Gianluca Masi, founder of the Virtual Telescope Project, will be «the last, feasible chances» to watch the comet from the Northern Hemisphere before it is hidden by the sun's brilliance.
