Starwatch: Nishimura comet on course for a hi-vis flyby

Discovered by an amateur astronomer in August, C/2023 P1 is likely to be visible to the naked eye this week

You may already have read about the recently discovered comet that could become a naked-eye object in September. For those in the northern hemisphere, this is the week it could happen.

Hideo Nishimura, a Japanese amateur astronomer, discovered what is now known as comet C/2023 P1 (Nishimura) on 12 August. Computation of its orbit showed it would make its closest approach to Earth on 12 September at a distance of 78m miles (125m km), just five days ahead of its closest approach to the sun.