See the year’s brightest comet as it flies by Earth this weekend

The 2018 Geminid meteor shower isn’t the only can’t-miss celestial spectacle this weekend.

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A glowing Christmas comet, the 46/Wirtanen, will fly nearby on Sunday, Dec. 16, and will only be 7.2 million miles from Earth at 8:06 a.m. This makes it the 10th-closest distance a comet has come to our planet since the 1950s.

According to NASA, Comet Wirtanen is a member of the Jupiter family of comets, meaning its farthest point from the sun is near the orbit of the great gas planet.

Comet 46P won’t have the big tail of a comet like Halley’s, but you should be able to see a smear.

It will be bright enough for those in the eastern horizon to see with the naked eye all month long. It  can best be seen with a telescope or binoculars, though you will need very dark, clear skies for optimal viewing.

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