Comet Wierzchos Nears Earth on Feb. 17 — A Tough Telescopic Look

Comet C/2024 E1 (Wierzchos) will pass about 94 million miles (151 million km) from Earth on February 17, its closest approach yet; at magnitude around +8.2 it won’t be visible to the naked eye, but may be spotted with binoculars under dark skies. For U.S. viewers, it will sit low in the southwestern sky at sunset in the southern Grus constellation before fading as it moves away from the Sun. The comet brightened after its January 20 perihelion near the Sun, but is expected to dim over the coming weeks as it recedes farther from Earth.