Rare Comet Nishimura Returns After 400 Years, Set to Pass by Earth

Comet Nishimura, discovered by Japanese amateur Hideo Nishimura, will make its closest approach to Earth on September 12 before continuing its journey towards the sun. The best chance to spot the comet will be during the 90 minutes before sunrise on Monday morning, with the best sky charts available at skyandtelescope.com or astronomy.com. Although it will be a tough-to-spot object, being away from city lights and having an unobstructed view to the east-northeast will increase the chances of seeing it. After swinging around the sun, the comet will only be visible from the Southern Hemisphere later in the month.