If you’ve ever wanted to get out and see Comet Nishimura for yourself, this week will likely be your last chance.
For those of us in the Northern Hemisphere, Comet C/2023 P1 Nishimura only has a few days left before it approaches the Sun and will no longer be visible in the pre-dawn hours.
To see it before it disappears over the next 400 years, you’ll need to wake up early, before sunrise. Look to the east-southeast in the hour or so before dawn and look for the constellation Leo; The comet will make its way beneath Leo’s tail this week, but by September 16 it will rise with the sun. A stargazing app can be your best option for locating it and determining whether you’ll be able to see low enough to the horizon to spot the comet.
Related: Will the newly discovered Comet Nishimura be visible to the naked eye? Experts aren’t so sure
You’ll need an unobstructed view of the horizon to be able to see the comet, which will be only eight degrees or so above the horizon on the morning of September 13 (less than the width of your fist at arm’s length). It will be low every morning at the same time until it disappears from sight in the glare of the sun.
Fortunately, the near-dark waning crescent moon heading into September’s new moon should provide dark skies for the next few mornings to help you spot Comet Nishimura.
The comet was Nishimura Discovered for the first time By amateur astronomer Hideo Nishimura from Kakegawa City, Japan on August 12. Nishimura was able to discover the comet before any of the larger robotic telescope systems such as the Panoramic Survey Telescope and Rapid Response System (Pan-STARRS) in Hawaii, which in itself is a major achievement.
Astrophotographers and skywatchers have been watching the comet with great interest over the past few months, even… We watch him lose his tail To a powerful explosion of solar wind in what is known as a separation event.
Comet Nishimura will reach its closest approach to the sun on September 18, in what is known as perihelion. If it does not completely decay due to solar radiation, the comet should orbit the Sun and be visible to observers in the Southern Hemisphere. If this happens, it will be visible in the western sky at sunset until the end of the month.
Want to capture wide swaths of the night sky or get a closer look at Comet Nishimura while it’s still visible? Check out our guide to the best binoculars to help you find a great pair of optics on the go.
Or, if you want to get a closer look at comets or anything else in the night sky, our guide to the best telescopes can help you find the right one for you.
And if you’re looking to take photos of Comet Nishimura or the night sky in general, check out our guide on how to photograph comets, as well as our best cameras for astrophotography and best lenses for astrophotography.
Editor’s note: If you have taken a photo of Comet Nishimura and would like to share it with Space.com readers, send your photo(s), comments, name and location to spacephotos@space.com.
