Stargazers should catch a glimpse of the comet as soon as possible — it will be another 400 years before it returns.
Footage posted by Matt Graves on January 28 shows the green comet in the sky as it made its approach towards Earth. for the first time in more than 400 years.
The comet, which is kilometer-sized , will sweep safely past Earth on Sept. 12, passing within 78 million miles .Early risers should look toward the northeastern horizon about 1 1/2 hours before dawn — to be specific, less than 10 or so degrees above the horizon near the constellation Leo. The comet will brighten as it gets closer to the sun, but will drop lower in the sky, making it tricky to spot.
The comet will come closest to the sun — closer than Mercury is — on about Sept. 17 before departing the solar system. That's assuming it doesn’t disintegrate when it buzzes the sun, though Chodas said "it’s likely to survive its passage."Italian astronomer Gianluca Masi, founder of the Virtual Telescope Project, said in an email that the next week represents "the last, feasible chances" to see the comet from the Northern Hemisphere before it’s lost in the sun’s glare.
If it survives its brush with the sun, the comet should be visible in the Southern Hemisphere by the end of September, Masi said, sitting low on the horizon in the evening twilight.
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