Comet Nishimura – watch out

Just a month ago, a new comet was discovered. It will be visible to the naked eye this weekend, a sight that can only be seen every 437 years.

The best thing is to look at the sky before sunrise in the northeast direction to the left of Venus in clear weather without air pollution, says Nicolas Biver, an astrophysicist at the Paris Observatory.

It will be easier to see the comet on Saturday and Sunday in the northern hemisphere.

Now all that remains is to see if the weather is suitable for the Norwegian stargazers.

– abnormal

The newly discovered comet was named Nishimura after the Japanese astronomer Hideo Nishimura, who discovered it in August.

According to Beaver, it is unusual for comets to be at their most visible so soon after their discovery.

– Most of them are discovered months, or even years, before they pass the closest point to the sun, he tells the news agency France Press agency.

Comet Nishimura passes the Sun only every 437 years. The rest of the time it is in orbit in the outer part of our solar system.

At its closest point, the comet will pass about 125 million kilometers from Earth.

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He has a green tail

When comets approach the Sun, the heat causes the ice in the comet’s core to turn into dust and gas. This is how the distinctive comet tail is formed.

The tail of Comet Nishimura is green. Beaver explains that this is because it contains “more gas than dust”.