GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — Stargazers will wish to maintain an in depth eye on the sky within the coming days. A comet with a 69-year orbit is ready to cross by Earth.
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It’s known as Comet 13P/Olbers, named after astronomer Heinrich Olbers, who’s credited with first figuring out the comet in 1815. P stands for periodic, which suggests the comet takes lower than 200 years to finish its orbit. The comet was given the quantity 13 as a result of it was the thirteenth periodic comet to be recognized.
In accordance with NASA, the comet is taken into account a “Close to Earth Asteroid” due to its orbit’s proximity to Earth however just isn’t thought-about doubtlessly hazardous. On this cross, the comet will come as shut as 1.9 astronomical models away from Earth’s orbit — 1.9 of the typical distance between the Earth and the solar or roughly 284 million kilometers.
A large view of the orbit of Comet 13P/Olbers. (Courtesy NASA) A zoomed-in view of the orbit of Comet 13P/Olbers. (Courtesy NASA)
On its orbit, the comet will come inside 1.18 AU of the solar and stretch so far as 32.64 AU away from the solar. The comet is presently approaching its perihelion — its closest level to the solar. It’ll attain that time on Sunday. It’ll attain its closest level to Earth on July 20.
The comet’s orbit is elliptical and takes 25,400 days to finish its journey. In accordance with SpaceReference.org, the comet was final noticed by the Worldwide Astronomical Union’s Minor Planet Heart on Sept. 12, 1956.
StarWalk says the comet needs to be seen on Sunday with binoculars and attain a most brightness of 6.5.
The comet is passing by the underside finish of the Lynx constellation and begins crossing above Leo Minor in mid-July.
There are a number of maps accessible to assist stargazers spot the comet, together with the Sky Tonight app.