Today Comet Nishimura flies close to the Sun. The last time this comet visited the inner solar system, our ancestors were fighting in the Eighty Years’ War. In the summer of 1588 – the last time Nishimura flew close to the sun – Spanish fleet He was defeated by Dutch and English attackers.
Comet Found on August 12, 2023 By Japanese amateur astronomer Hideo Nishimura. At that time, the comet was about 150 million kilometers away. Today – after more than a month – the comet reached the point in its orbit closest to the sun. Astronomers call it perihelion. The distance to the Sun is now only 35 million kilometers.
This week’s satellite image is a beautiful image of Comet Nishimura, Taken by astrophotographer Kenneth LeRose. The comet was observed from Washington state, USA. The comet can be seen just above the mountainous horizon. The comet’s nucleus looks very green, and its tail also looks very long. Also This image By Elliot Herman Highly recommended. Here you can see solar flares and the solar wind clearly affecting Nishimura’s tail, causing various kinds of waves to appear.
Satellite image of Comet Nishimura week over the horizon. © Kenneth LeRose
Astronomers believe that comet Nishimura is responsible for the weak meteor shower Sigma hydride. Usually, around December 12, three additional meteors appear every hour. It’s possible to see more meteors this year with the comet’s recent pass. The comet leaves behind many new dust particles that will collide with Earth next December. The bad news for us is that the meteor appears to originate from the southern constellation of the Snake, and this constellation cannot be seen in December. So, you have to travel to the Southern Hemisphere to witness the meteor shower. On the other hand: We can enjoy Geminids during this period (And we may still detect burning sigma hydride in the atmosphere.)
In the next few decades, Nishimura will again travel to the Kuiper Belt. This donut-shaped region is home to thousands of icy celestial objects, ranging from dwarf planets to comets. In 2227, the distance to the sun will be even further, namely 110 times the sun’s single journey to earth or the equivalent of 16.5 billion kilometers. For comparison, Pluto’s distance from the Sun ranges from 4.5 to 7.4 billion kilometers. Nishimura will then crawl towards the Sun again and arrive at its parent star in September 2430.
2023-09-17 19:42:12
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