Astronomy Picture of the Day - Comet Nishimura Grows

NASA ^ | 9 Sep, 2023 | Credit & Copyright: Peter Kennett

[MtnClimber]

Explanation: Comet Nishimura is growing. More precisely, the tails C/2023 P1 (Nishimura) are growing as it nears the Sun. Discovered only last month, the comet is already near naked eye brightness as it now moves inside the Earth's orbit. The comet will be nearest the Earth next week, but nearest the Sun the week after -- on September 17. Speculation holds that expelled ice and dust from Comet Nishimura's last visit to the inner Solar System may have created the Sigma Hydrids meteor shower which peaks yearly in December. If so, then this meteor shower may become more active, refreshed with new comet debris. Pictured, Comet Nishimura was captured from Edgewood, New Mexico, USA four nights ago, showing a long ion tail structured by interactions with the Sun's wind. Look for this comet near your eastern horizon just before sunrise for the next few mornings, but very near your western horizon just after sunset next week -- as its coma continues to brighten and its tails continue to grow.

[MtnClimber]

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[MtnClimber]

[MtnClimber]

Pinging the APOD list.

🪐 🌟 🌌 🍔

[sit-rep]

Grows?? or gets brighter?

[Ezekiel]

"Speculation holds that expelled ice and dust from Comet Nishimura's last visit to the inner Solar System may have created the Sigma Hydrids meteor shower which peaks yearly in December. If so, then this meteor shower may become more active, refreshed with new comet debris."

Ah, all right. Dinner's at seven.

[DannyTN]

[No name given]

Wow.

[AFB-XYZ]

As long as they don’t rename it Nibiru . . .

[Diana in Wisconsin]

Comet NEOWISE was so cool to see in 2020.

“At that time, it was an 18th-magnitude object, located 2 AU away from the Sun and 1.7 AU away from Earth.” ~ Wikipedia

Will this one be visible for us at some point?

[COBOL2Java]

You guys went after the wrong comet!

[Alas Babylon!]

Ditto. Same question.

in 2020 I went to the darkest rural Alabama place I could find and could not see Neowise. Things were real quiet human-wise due to Covid.

I then heard some low growls and big branches and sticks being broken in the dark, impenetrable woods/swamp behind me, and the strong smell of skunk/dead things, so I didn’t stay long. Whatever it was did not want me to see the comet, even if I could.

[Secret Agent Man]

Giant Meteor 2024!

[Political Junkie Too]

-PJ

[minnesota_bound]

Amazing what the Sun can do to objects in space. I wonder if the sun has any affect on the weather here on earth....? /s

[Diana in Wisconsin]

I would’ve high-tailed it out of there, too! I rarely venture beyond my house yard in the dark, LOL!