July 13, 2022 at 3:56 pm

Massive Comet K2 To Become Visible As Supermoon Lights Up The Sky

by Justin Gardner

Screen Shot 2022 07 13 at 2.42.10 PM 1 Massive Comet K2 To Become Visible As Supermoon Lights Up The Sky

Photo Credit: NASA/ESA/D. Jewitt (UCLA)

On Wednesday, July 13th around the evening hours, a massive comet nicknamed K2 will enter our Solar System, at the same time a supermoon is happening. That’s exciting because NASA predicts it’s one of the biggest comets that the people of Earth will likely ever see.

NASA first detected K2 in May 2017 with the help of the Hubble Telescope. At the time it was roughly 2.4 billion kilometers from the sun, and wasn’t yet visible on Earth. But now we can all get a chance to see it.

So how can you spot it? First, a livestream will be available starting on Thursday at 6:15 p.m. EST at this link.

However, you want to do it the old fashioned way, PopSci has some tips:

Depending on which night you hunt for it, the comet will appear in different places in the sky. On July 14, it will seem to be located near the star cluster called Messier 10; by mid-August, it will be positioned as though it’s at the tip of the constellation Scorpius.

For a first-hand look at K2, your best bet is to use a small telescope or binoculars. You’ll want to scan for a dim patch of light, which is likely the tail of the comet, at around 11 p.m. EST on July 14.

Will you be looking up in the next day or months for K2? I know I will.