TOKYO – Comet Lemmon is set to make its closest approach to Earth in around 1,300 years on Tuesday, with good viewing opportunities for the greenish cosmic snowball expected until Nov. 2 as it brightens upon nearing the Sun.
While the comet will be difficult to see with the naked eye, it can be captured on long camera exposures pointed low at the western sky around an hour after sunset, according to the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan.
On Sunday, observers in the Tokachi region in Hokkaido were able to clearly photograph the comet near the Big Dipper constellation in the northwestern sky between 5:30 p.m. and 7 p.m.
The comet, named after Mount Lemmon observatory in the U.S. state of Arizona, where it was discovered during a survey in January, follows an elongated elliptical orbit around the Sun. Its previous close approach is estimated to have occurred approximately 1,300 years ago, with its next approach set to occur in around 1,100 years.
Between Thursday and Nov. 2, the comet will appear relatively higher in the sky for about an hour after sunset, making it easier to observe. It may even be faintly visible to the naked eye in areas with minimal light pollution and clear skies.
AloJapan.com