Jakarta –
Comet Nishimura, which was discovered by Hideo Nishimura, is expected to appear from Earth in September 2023. Here are some facts about the comet that was just discovered in August 2023.
Found Hidden Behind the Glare of the Sun
Hideo Nishimura discovered this comet on the night of August 11 and 12, 2023 in Kakegawa, Japan. According to Hideo Nishimura’s observations on August 12, 2023, the comet is moving in front of the constellation Gemini. The comet was hidden from the glare of the Sun before Nishimura managed to find an image of it. The comet will continue to get brighter as it approaches the Sun, eventually coming into the range of binoculars.
From 15 to 16 August 2023, the comet has passed Earth’s orbit and is approaching the Sun. Nishimura’s Comet moves so fast that in just a few days it will reach the orbit of Venus. This comet is expected to arrive in the orbit of Venus on August 27, 2023.
After crossing the constellation Gemini, Comet Nishimura will move into the constellation Cancer in late August to early September. It will cross the constellation Leo in mid-September and will brighten even more as it has a magnitude of 4.6 M.
Later when the comet moves away from the Sun, its brightness will fade. In mid-October 2023, the comet will be 20 degrees farther from the Sun.
Can It Really Be Seen Without Optical Instruments?
Reporting from the earthsky.org page on August 22, 2023, the results of observations of this comet have a magnitude of 9.2 M. This means that only people using telescopes in the dark sky can see it. It is said on the NASA Science website, it cannot be ascertained that observers from Earth can see it with the naked eye because of the unpredictable nature of comets.
Other observations report that the comet’s tail is eight minutes of arc long. This comet can also be brighter and longer as it approaches the Sun.
It is always difficult to estimate the brightness level of a comet because of its unpredictable nature. In its motion, the comet is now bright enough to be seen by the naked eye but when it approaches the Sun it could be destroyed.
However, when it is in the perihelion phase or at its closest position to the Sun, this comet is very difficult to observe because it is 12 degrees from the Sun in a dipping position.
Although estimates suggest that the comet will probably be bright enough to be seen without optical aid, at its peak brightness it will be very close to the area of the sky where the Sun is. While the bright sunlight coming from below the horizon. This would make anything in the sky difficult to see.
Therefore, this comet may be difficult to find in the glare of the sun or daylight. However, during the last days of August and early September 2023, the opportunity to try to see this space object is quite large. Using binoculars, small telescopes, or long-exposure photos, we can see this comet just before it gets too close to the Sun.
When Can You See Nishimura’s Comet?
Comet Nishimura will reach its highest level of brightness in September 2023, when it is closest to the Sun and Earth.
The comet, which will be close to the sun, has an angular position so that it is possible to see it just before sunset or sunrise. Quoted from the science.nasa.gov page, because of its close position to the Sun, which will be in the orbit of the planet Mercury, the comet’s core is likely to rupture.
Sky enthusiasts can observe this comet with small telescopes during late August 2023. However, you should try to see it now because it may not survive this close to the Sun.
However, if the comet survives into August, Comet Nishimura should be observable with binoculars on the early morning of September 2023.
Then, observers with an unobstructed view to the east-southeast of the ocean may get a good binocular view of Comet C/2023 P1 (Nishimura) around September 10, about 45 minutes before sunrise.
Comets Forming New Trajectories
The comet, which was just discovered in August 2023, has not been widely observed by experts. Even now, this comet is still in the stage of determining its path/trajectory.
The NASA-Jet Propulsion Laboratory calculated the new orbit of this comet on August 21, 2023. These observations indicate that Comet Nishimura will orbit the sun every 202 years. This suggests that Comet Nishimura is a ‘local’ comet of our solar system and not an interstellar comet.
The Nishimura comet’s closest point to Earth will occur on September 12, 2023, which will be 78 million miles (125 million km) from Earth. Meanwhile, the perihelion or the closest point of the comet from the Sun will occur on September 17, 2023, at a distance of 27 million miles (or 43.7 million km) from the Sun.
Watch Video “Appearance of a Rare Green Comet Through Telescope”
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2023-08-28 12:30:00
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