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Limited window of opportunity to spot Comet Nishimura in pre-dawn sky

The comet is expected to be bright but very low on the horizon this week

This image provided by Gianluca Masi shows the comet C/2023 P1 Nishimura and its tail seen from Manciano, Italy on Sept. 5, 2023. Stargazers across the Northern Hemisphere should catch a glimpse as soon as possible because it will be another 400 years before the wandering ice ball returns. (Gianluca Masi via AP) (Gianluca Masi, Gianluca Masi)

ROANOKE, Va. – Comet Nishimura was discovered in August by Hideo Nishimura, according to NASA.

At times, its brightness has increased.

The comet is now in its final days to potentially be observed, but you have to know what you’re doing in order to spot it.

It’s only visible to the naked eye in the darkest of spots.

How to spot Comet Nishimura this week

Visibility of the comet improves as it nears the sun. The sun heats the comet, causing it to throw gas and dust back. That’s the tail you usually see with comets.

However, the angle of this doesn’t work in many people’s favor if you were to (say) look from your neighborhood.

The closer it gets to the sun, the lower it will get in the East/Northeast sky before sunrise.

If you have long exposure settings on your camera/the right gear and get a picture of the comet, you can send it to us through Pin It here.