Many are ringing in the New Year with the sight of Comet Catalina. Other than that comet, when will the next one be visible to us here on Planet Earth to enjoy and see?

Now through January 17th the comet will slowly loose it's visibility.

January 17,2016. Comet Catalina will pass some 68 million miles (110 million km) from Earth. That’s very, very far from Earth – hundreds of times farther than the moon’s distance. So there is no danger of a collision. That said, let’s talk about the size of the comet’s nucleus or core. Some estimates indicate the nucleus of Comet Catalina ranges between 4 and 20 kilometers in diameter."

So when can we catch the next comet on Earth? According to Earth Sky, the next predicted comet that may be reach visibility to the unaided eye will be Comet 46P/Wirtanen. It will appear as a sky gift for Christmas of 2018. There is always the possibility that a newly found comet will provide a good celestial show prior to that time.

When will Halley's comet return? Halley's comet will next appear in the night sky in the year 2062. It orbits the sun every 75-76 years.

 

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