![]() ![]() "And, as recent activity shows, there's always the possibility of brightness outbursts as Comet Leonard draws nearer and nearer the sun."Īs you look up at the night sky for Venus and Comet Leonard this weekend, keep an eye out for December's full Cold Moon, which rises on Saturday, Dec. ![]() ![]() " Comets are typically brightest around perihelion, and the comet has been brightening and is still getting brighter," according to EarthSky. Comet tonight how to#How to photograph Comet NEOWISE: NASA tips for stargazers Photos: Spectacular comet views from Earth and space Small telescopes will show the comet for several months to come, he said.- Venus and a newly discovered comet will cross paths in December. "A dark sky would offer the best sight," Masi said. He recommends observing K2 over the next few nights as the moon leaves the evening sky. Looking up earlier in the evening before moonrise will afford the best view, he added. The comet will be visible in the Ophiuchus constellation from the Northern and Southern hemispheres, Masi said. Masi also noted that the full moon will be in the sky on K2's flyby date, which could make it "significantly" harder to view, he explained.īut both experts agreed that you'll be able to see K2 with binoculars or a small telescope. Jewitt noted there are "probably hundreds" of comets that have come closer to Earth than K2 and that it won't be a "spectacular" viewing for the general public. ET for spectators who don't have a telescope. On Thursday, the Italy-based Virtual Telescope Project plans to host a live feed starting at 6:15 p.m. HOW TO WATCH: A supermoon, aka buck moon or thunder moon, to rise in evening sky Wednesday K2 views won't be 'spectacular' but here's where to look Eastern time Wednesday, he explained the comet's speed relative to Earth will be 0 miles per second. In July, the overall speed of the comet relative to the Earth is an average of 21 miles per second, Masi said. When K2 reaches its minimum distance around 11 p.m. K2 is the brightest comet in the sky right now, he said. K2 will reach its minimum distance from our planet, about 170 million miles away, Wednesday night, said Italy-based astrophysicist Gianluca Masi, director of the the Virtual Telescope Project. HEADING TO TEST THE MOON'S ORBIT: NASA restores contact with $32.7 million spacecraft Capstone How close will K2 travel to Earth? "When we study these comets, we're trying to look at material has been preserved from the beginning of the solar system." The comet "is packed with materials that have been frozen since the beginning of solar system time," Jewitt said.
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