Comet 13P/Olbers will pass by our planet for the first time in almost 70 years this summer.
The comet may be visible from Earth, though that will depend on a few factors. Astronomy website StarWalk says that you’ll have the best chance of viewing the comet on Sunday, June 30, when “it is expected to shine with a magnitude of 6.5, visible through binoculars.”
StarWalk says that “Olbers is well-placed in the sky” and people can already “observe it with your backyard telescope.”
If visible, the comet will appear in the western sky, according to astronomy news site Universe Today, between 20 and 30 degrees above the horizon. Evening will be the best time for viewing.
Take note, though — currently, there are clouds in the forecast for western Oregon on Sunday.
Olbers is a Halley-type periodic comet, according to NASA, which means that it reappears near Earth at regular intervals.
Universe Today says that the Olbers comet is named for astronomer Heinrich Olbers, who first observed the comet on March 6th, 1815.
Earlier this year, Comet 12P/Pons-Brooks, aka the Devil Comet, was visible in the night sky over Oregon. Local photographer Jeremy Likness captured stunning images of that comet.
Comet 13p/Olbers won’t be nearly that bright, but you may have a chance of seeing it before it disappears again for another 69 years.
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