Rare Comet Could Be Seen in Saturday’s Sky; How to Watch

Visibility depends on various factors. The main point that encourages viewing the comet is the location of the person looking for it. Viewing 13P/Olbers will be best in the northeastern and northern regions of Brazil, about two hours after sunset and in places where the horizon is free of visual obstructions, such as buildings and other structures.

And the journey continues. The comet will follow its path through space and will be visible throughout July. On the 20th, it will reach its shortest distance from Earth: 72 million kilometers.

How to see comet 13P/Olbers

One of the best ways to see the comet is with the free Sky Tonight app. It is possible to check the location of the comet on the sky map. With the compass function available in the app, the user can adjust the sky map to “their” sky in real time and find 13P/Olbers.

I look for the culprit the old fashioned way. Because of its extreme brightness, the comet will also be able to be identified using simple binoculars and telescopes.

Like other comets, 13P/Olbers is made of ice, rock, and dust. According to the Star Walk website, the name given to the comet takes its characteristics: the letter “P” indicates that the comet is periodic (a celestial body that takes less than 200 years to orbit the sun); the number 13 means that the comet is the thirteenth to be identified as periodic; and Olbers gives the name of the person who discovered the comet, Heinrich Olbers.