PORTLAND, Ore. (KATU) \u2014 Space, it\u2019s full of surprises.<\/p>\n
An object, discovered at the beginning of the year, was first thought to be an asteroid. But then it grew a tail.<\/p>\n
Astronomers with the Mount Lemmon Survey in Arizona found Comet Lemmon (C\/2025 A6) on Jan. 3. At that time, it looked like an asteroid. But as the object got closer to the sun, a coma and a tail appeared, telltale signs of a comet.<\/p>\n
The comet is fast approaching its closest encounter with Earth on Tuesday, March 21, a harmless 28.6 million miles.<\/p>\n
As it makes it closest approach to us Earthlings, astronomers are expecting it to be visible with the naked eye.<\/p>\n
For those of us in the Pacific Northwest, you can have a chance to spot it low in the northwest sky<\/strong> about 90 minutes after sunset.<\/p>\n Jim Todd, the director of space science education at OMSI, says look for a faint and hazy \u201ccloud.\u201d He says the comet\u2019s coma (around the comet\u2019s nucleus) will be greenish and its tail will be a faint blue.<\/p>\n The good news: The comet\u2019s closest approach to us will occur during new moon, meaning the moon won\u2019t be in the sky to drown out the faint light of the comet. The bad news: Who knows whether the weather in these parts will cooperate at this time of year.<\/p>\n As of this writing, the forecast from our weather team suggests that it might be clear enough Monday night for Portlanders to spot the comet. The forecast for that day is for mostly sunny skies. But clouds increase Tuesday.<\/p>\n We\u2019ll just need to go outside on these nights to find out.<\/p>\n Watch KATU News to get the latest weather forecast and check out our weather page<\/a><\/strong>, too.<\/p>\n But you can start looking for the comet right now to see if you can spot it with your naked eye or, for better luck, use binoculars or telescopes. Again, weather permitting.<\/p>\n The icy visitor from the outer solar system is estimated to be about 1.25 miles in diameter.<\/p>\n It\u2019s currently in the constellation Canes Venatici and about 91.4 million miles from us, according to The Sky Live<\/a><\/strong>. It will fly into the constellation Bootes next door to Canes Venatici on Oct. 20, Astronomy magazine says<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re familiar with the kite-shaped constellation, look for the comet about halfway between the tip of the \u201ckite,\u201d the star Beta Bootis, and the bright, reddish star Arcturus. (Arcturus will be the brightest star in that part of the sky.<\/p>\n