NASA: Fiery Comet Will Usher in 2017

Look for a comet to light the night and help you welcome in 2017 on New Year's Eve.

In an Instagram posting, the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory urged revelers to watch the night sky for the Comet 45P/Honda-Mrkos-Pajdusakova, which will be near the moon on Saturday.

 

Say farewell to 2016 in cosmic style by looking up to see the #NewYearsEve #comet on December 31 🎉 #NewYear #astronomy #nightsky #comet45p #planets #NASA #JPL #WhatsUp #NYE #newyears

A video posted by NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (@nasajpl) on Dec 28, 2016 at 12:41pm PST

However, you will need a pair of strong binoculars or a telescope to see the comet. People should look to the west just after sunset to see it, Dr. David Reitzel, an astronomical lecturer at Griffith Observatory in California, is quoted by USA Today.

He notes it can be seen just to the left of the crescent moon.

And CNN says the comet, which was named after the astronomers who discovered in in 1948, will have the maximum brightness of a faint star.

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