If you have been desiring to venture out and witness Comet Nishimura firsthand, this week is probably your final opportunity.
As the sun approaches, Comet C/2023 P1 Nishimura will become less visible in the early morning hours, giving those of us in the Northern Hemisphere only a few days to catch a glimpse.
To locate the comet, try gazing towards the lower part of the horizon and ascertain if it will be visible; utilizing a stargazing application might be your most favorable option. By September 16th, the comet will ascend along with the sun, but during this week, it will descend along the tail of the Lion constellation. Locate the Leo constellation approximately an hour before sunrise and direct your gaze towards the east-southeast direction. In order to catch a glimpse of it before it disappears for the next four centuries, it will be necessary to rise early, prior to the sunrise.
On the morning of September 13th, the comet will be lower in the sky at the same time each morning. It will disappear from view into the glare of the sun and reappear at the same time each morning. In order to see the comet, you will need an unobstructed view of the horizon, which should be about eight degrees above the horizon or less, which is less than the width of your arm’s length fist.
Fortunately, the waning crescent moon, which will be heading into September’s new moon phase, should provide dark skies for a few mornings to spot the Nishimura Comet.
Discovering the Nishimura Comet, amateur astronomer Nishimura Hideo from the city of Kakegawa, Japan, achieved quite a remarkable feat using the Pan-STARRS (Panoramic Survey Telescope and Rapid Response System), which, like its larger automated counterparts, was able to spot the comet before any other telescopes.
Skywatchers and astrophotographers have been watching the comet with great interest throughout the past few months, even witnessing its tail lose its known shape due to a powerful blast from the sun.
If the comet is not completely destroyed by solar radiation, it is expected to orbit the sun and become visible to observers in the Southern Hemisphere. Comet Nishimura is set to reach its nearest point to the sun on Sept. 18, which is referred to as perihelion. In case this occurs, it will be possible to see the comet in the western sky at sunset until the end of the month.