Rare Green Comet Nishimura Makes Once-in-a-Lifetime Appearance

A newly discovered kilometer-sized comet, named Nishimura comet after its amateur Japanese discoverer, is making its first visit to our cosmic neighborhood in over 400 years. Stargazers in the Northern Hemisphere have a limited time to catch a glimpse of the comet before it disappears for another 400 years. The comet will pass safely by Earth on September 12, coming within 78 million miles, and will reach its closest point to the sun on September 17. Although faint, it can be seen with binoculars and is currently visible in the northeastern horizon before dawn. If it survives its brush with the sun, it should be visible in the Southern Hemisphere by the end of September.