ASTRO EXTRA: Chance to see a comet Saturday morning

GREEN BAY, Wis. (WBAY) - Comet Nishimura was discovered Aug. 12 by a Japanese amateur astronomer, and has only been visible through a telescope so far, but is expected to brighten quickly as it nears both the Earth and sun by mid-month.

There are still unknowns with this (and all) comets, but calculations of its orbit show that the best day to look will be the morning of Sept. 9, barely above the horizon in the east-northeast about 1½ to 2 hours before sunrise – At the very least have binoculars handy in case the object does not brighten sufficiently to be seen with the naked eye.

In the days thereafter the comet will be very close to the sun so it may be very difficult if not impossible to spot.

First Alert Meteorologist Brad Spakowitz has more details this Astro Extra.

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