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How to see 2018’s brightest comet 46P / Wirtanen

Have you heard about #Comet #46PWirtanen? It’s due to pass closest to the sun on December 12, 2018, and closest to Earth just a few days later, on December 16. Comet Wirtanen is the brightest comet in the night sky now; it’s the brightest comet of 2018. Although theoretically visible to the eye now, this comet is not easily visible to the eye. Astronomers have captured it using telescopes and binoculars (see a collection of photos here). It’s best seen from a dark location. To glimpse it, check to see if your local astronomy club will be hosting events for observing comet 46P/Wirtanen. Or visit the Virtual Telescope Project for a free, online viewing of comet Wirtanen on December 12 and 17. As of early December, observers around the world are reporting that Comet 46P/Wirtanen is, in theory, bright enough to be seen with the eye. The problem is that the dim light reflected from the comet is spread over a large cometary atmosphere or coma. So you’ll be looking for a large, diffuse,