Spotting Comet Nishimura: Tips and Tricks to Catch a Glimpse of the Spectacular Celestial Phenomenon

2023-09-09 06:00:54
The arrival of a comet that can be seen with the naked eye is exciting, but don’t rely on reports regarding the visibility of Comet Nishimura, which was recently discovered. For example, the British newspaper The Independent wrote on the 5th that Comet Nishimura “can be seen heading toward the crescent moon and Venus in the east-northeast sky for one hour following sunset and one hour before sunrise,” but this is only half the time. Incorrect. Comet Nishimura is currently in the constellation Leo, more specifically in the head of Leo. The head of Leo is visible only at dawn, when it rises with Venus in the east-northeast sky regarding an hour before sunrise. However, Comet Nishimura is moving so fast from the head of the lion to the body that it will soon disappear below the horizon. It is predicted to be so bright that it may be visible to the naked eye from around September 12th, when it will be closest to the Earth, until September 17th, when it will be closest to the Sun. However, during that period, it is very difficult to see because it is hidden in the bright twilight. Furthermore, comets may be able to pass close to the Sun unscathed. It might lose its brightness significantly, or in the worst case scenario, it might be completely wiped out by the heat of the sun. In other words, strictly speaking, while it remains bright enough to be visible to the naked eye, it does not rise high enough in the night sky to be easily visible to the naked eye. The best we can hope for is to catch a glimpse of it near the western horizon following sunset. In that case, it is wise to use binoculars and also requires great patience. Comet Nishimura was discovered on August 13th by Japanese amateur astronomer Hideo Nishimura, and the International Astronomical Union’s Minor Planet Center announced it as “C/2023 P1 (Nishimura)” on August 15th. (original text from forbes.com)
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