If you were looking forward to seeing a new comet in the sky, you’re in luck. Just a few days ago, Japanese astronomer Hideo Mishimura discovered a new comet while photographing the night sky. Before Nishimura could capture it with his Canon telephoto lens, the comet was “camouflaged” within the Sun’s own glare.
Named C/2023 P1 Nishimura by NASA, in honor of its discoverer, this comet will continue to shine as it approaches the Sun, even giving nighttime sky observers the chance to see it with the naked eye, without the need for binoculars or telescopes.
However, the possibility doesn’t necessarily make it an easy task. Aligning with the Sun (from our perspective), the Sun’s glare could make observing the comet quite challenging. So, if you have binoculars or even a simple telescope, it could make locating the comet easier.
As of today, the comet can be observed using these tools, although it will reach its maximum brightness in September as it comes closer to both the Sun and Earth. That is, of course, if it survives; being composed of ice, dust, and rocky material, the comet might disintegrate on its journey towards the Sun.
If you don’t want to miss it under any circumstances, mark this date: August 27th. This upcoming Sunday, the Nishimura Comet will reach Venus’s orbit, giving us the opportunity to observe it through telescopes. In case it survives its scorching journey near our star, September 10th would be the ideal time to see it, just before sunrise.
So, now you know, if you were “hungry” for comets after the visit of the Green Comet last February, from now until early September you can try to spot Nishimura. And don’t worry, because in a year, we’ll have another comet to see, the C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS).
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