Subscribe
AfricaOTR
  • Login
  • Register
No Result
View All Result
AfricaOTR
No Result
View All Result
AfricaOTR
No Result
View All Result
Home Africa

Across the Northern Hemisphere, now’s the time to catch a new comet before it vanishes for 400 years

by Clara Fagan, Staff Contributor
September 7, 2023
in Africa, SCIENCE
0
Across the Northern Hemisphere, now’s the time to catch a new comet before it vanishes for 400 years
0
SHARES
0
VIEWS
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Across the Northern Hemisphere, now’s the time to catch a new comet before it vanishes for 400 years. For the first time in almost 400 years, a newly found comet is passing through our local star system.

Northern Hemisphere skywatchers should try to get a glimpse of the traveling ice ball this week or early next since it won’t be back for another 400 years.

On September 12, the kilometer-sized (1/2 mile) comet will pass harmlessly by Earth at a distance of just 78 million miles (125 million kilometers).

About 1 1/2 hours before sunrise, early risers should gaze toward the northeastern horizon, specifically less than 10 degrees above the horizon towards the constellation Leo. The comet will become more visible as it approaches the sun, but it will be harder to see since it will be lower in the sky.

The comet is dim enough to be seen with the naked eye.

“So you really need a good pair of binoculars to pick it out and you also need to know where to look,” said Paul Chodas, manager of NASA’s Center for Near-Earth Object Studies.

On or around September 17, the comet will approach the sun at its closest point (getting closer than Mercury does) before leaving our solar system. This is provided it survives the close encounter with the sun. However, Chodas did say, “it’s likely to survive its passage.”

From the Northern Hemisphere, the next week marks “the last, feasible chances” to view the comet before it is lost in the sun’s glare, according to an email from Virtual Telescope Project creator and Italian astronomer Gianluca Masi.

He added that a lengthy, highly complex tail makes the comet a delight to observe with a telescope.

Masi predicted that by the end of September, the comet, should it make it through its close encounter with the sun, would be visible in the Southern Hemisphere, low on the horizon during the evening twilight.

Since it was discovered by a Japanese amateur astronomer in mid-August, stargazers have been keeping a close eye on the uncommon green comet. His name has been given to the Nishimura comet.

Chodas said that it is uncommon for an amateur to discover a comet in the modern era because of the abundance of professional sky surveys using large ground telescopes, but that “this is his third find, so good for him.”
Chodas estimated that the comet’s previous sighting was about 430 years ago. Those dates place them around two decades before Galileo invented the telescope.

Print Friendly, PDF & Email
Tags: Across the Northern HemisphereNeurosciencenow’s the time to catch a new comet before it vanishes for 400 yearsscienceScience and Technology
ADVERTISEMENT
Clara Fagan, Staff Contributor

Clara Fagan, Staff Contributor

Related Posts

Burkina Faso junta leader says no elections until the country safe for voting

Burkina Faso junta leader says no elections until the country safe for voting

by Patrick Amoah
October 2, 2023
0

The head of Burkina Faso's military junta stated that promised elections would only be held whenever the security situation allowed....

French ambassador to Niger leaves as relations nosedive after coup

French ambassador to Niger leaves as relations nosedive after coup

by Patrick Amoah
September 29, 2023
0

France's ambassador to Niger landed in Paris about one month after the military junta in Niger ordered him to be...

Burkina Faso junta says it thwarted coup attempt

Burkina Faso junta says it thwarted coup attempt

by Patrick Amoah
September 28, 2023
0

Without going into specifics, Burkina Faso's military junta said on Wednesday that security and intelligence agencies had prevented a coup...

African migrants bound for US use Nicaragua to bypass Darien perils

African migrants bound for US use Nicaragua to bypass Darien perils

by Tunde N
September 27, 2023
0

According to migrants interviewed by Reuters and exclusive U.N. statistics, African migrants and asylum seekers traveling to the United States...

Libya says Derna mayor and other officials detained after flood

Libya says Derna mayor and other officials detained after flood

by Maliha Hussein
September 25, 2023
0

According to the office of Libya's attorney general, which was announced on Monday, the mayor of the city of Derna,...

Amal Clooney, international leaders call for accountability in Sudan war.

Amal Clooney, international leaders call for accountability in Sudan war.

by Patrick Amoah
September 21, 2023
0

Amal Clooney, a human rights attorney, and world leaders urged greater attention to the Sudanese conflict and accountability in battles...

Next Post
Armando Manzanero died

Armando Manzanero Died After Battling Covid-19

Please login to join discussion

Trending

Burkina Faso junta leader says no elections until the country safe for voting
Africa

Burkina Faso junta leader says no elections until the country safe for voting

by Patrick Amoah
October 2, 2023
0

The head of Burkina Faso's military junta stated that promised elections would only be held whenever the security situation allowed....

Read more
French ambassador to Niger leaves as relations nosedive after coup

French ambassador to Niger leaves as relations nosedive after coup

September 29, 2023
Burkina Faso junta says it thwarted coup attempt

Burkina Faso junta says it thwarted coup attempt

September 28, 2023
South African retailer Spar’s interim earnings fell 30%.

South Africa’s SPAR to sell loss-making Polish business

September 28, 2023
Morocco and East African co-bid to host future Africa Cup of Nations finals

Morocco and East African co-bid to host future Africa Cup of Nations finals

September 28, 2023
African migrants bound for US use Nicaragua to bypass Darien perils

African migrants bound for US use Nicaragua to bypass Darien perils

September 27, 2023
A Blow For South Africa’s Springboks at Rugby World Cup 2023

A Blow For South Africa’s Springboks at Rugby World Cup 2023

September 26, 2023
Kenya: Hakuna Matata As German-Based Kenyans Steal the Show At Berlin Marathon

Kenya: Hakuna Matata As German-Based Kenyans Steal the Show At Berlin Marathon

September 26, 2023

AfricaOTR

Menu

Home

Agriculture

Health

History

Life Style

News

Africa

Links

Subscribe

Privacy Policy

Subscription Plan

Member TOS Page

Join AfricaOTR

Social Media

Categories

Sports

Fashion

Entertainment

Market

© 2023 AfricaOTR | All Rights Reserved

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Agriculture
  • Health
  • History
  • Life Style
  • News
  • Africa
    • Eastern Africa
      • Burundi
      • Comoros
      • Djibouti
      • Ethiopia
      • Eritrea
      • Kenya
      • Madagascar
      • Malawi
      • Mauritius
      • Mozambique
      • Rwanda
      • Seychelles
      • Somalia
      • South Sudan
      • Tanzania
      • Uganda
      • Zambia
      • Zimbabwe
    • Western Africa
      • Benin
      • Burkina Faso
      • Cabo Verde
      • Côte d’Ivoire
      • Gambia
      • Ghana
      • Guinea
      • Guinea-Bissau
      • Liberia
      • Mali
      • Mauritania
      • Niger
      • Nigeria
      • Senegal
      • Sierra Leone
      • Togo
    • Middle Africa
      • Angola
      • Cameroon
      • Central African Republic
      • Chad
      • Congo
      • DR Congo
      • Equatorial Guinea
      • Gabon
      • Sao Tome & Principe
    • Northern Africa
      • Algeria
      • Egypt
      • Libya
      • Morocco
      • Sudan
      • Tunisia
    • Southern Africa

© 2023 AfricaOTR | All Rights Reserved

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password? Sign Up

Create New Account!

Fill the forms below to register

All fields are required. Log In

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In