It appears once in 400 years. Comet Nishimura will pass close to Earth from today

By: Shaima Abdel Monim

Tuesday, September 12, 2023 04:34 PM

After finding out comet In August, Nishimura will approach Earth within a week starting today, Tuesday, September 12. According to information published by the Daily Mail website, Professor Brad Gibson, director of the Milne Center for Astrophysics at the University of Hull, says: Nishimura, traveling through space at 240,000 mph, can already see the crescent moon and Venus, looking east-northeast, one hour after sunset and one hour before dawn. It is expected to peak next week when the space rock will run after 78 million miles.

He added: “A comet takes 500 years to orbit the solar system, Earth takes a year, and exoplanets decades to orbit the system.”

Professor Gibson noted: “It may already be visible, but on September 12 it will be 78 million miles from Earth and should be the best chance to see it with the naked eye. On average, people have a chance to see such a comet with the naked eye once every decade. It’s a rarity. And wonderful opportunity.

Nishimura is visible to the naked eye, but having binoculars or binoculars makes it easier to spot, and can also be used with apps like stargazers. Skyview and ski guide And night sky This helps in finding the exact location of such comets.

And find the comet C/2023 P1 (Nishimura) falls toward the heart of the Solar System by amateur astrophotographer Hideo Nishimura in Japan on August 11, and Professor Gibson says Nishimura will pass by on September 17 when it is 27 million miles from the Sun..

Scientists are still trying to estimate Nishimura’s size, but Professor Gibson believes its diameter could range from a few hundred meters to a mile or two. He also believes the comet may be responsible for the annual meteor shower. Sigma-HydridesIt happens every year in December.

The professor said that comets are “fragments of ice and rock” left over from the formation of the Solar System about five billion years ago, and as they approach the Sun, the comet heats up, leading to the release of ice. The gas that gives them their unique tail..