Dying comet is celestial spectacle

A comet that has broken up catastrophically will swing close by Earth on Thursday, making the nearest approach by any comet within the past two decades, websites reported on Wednesday.

A comet that has broken up catastrophically will swing close by Earth on Thursday, making the nearest approach by any comet within the past two decades, websites reported on Wednesday.

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Comet Schwassmann-Wachmann 3 — also known as Comet 73P — will pass within a mere 10 million kilometres of Earth in a string of dozens of pieces.

Observers should be able to see two of the brighest chunks using a small telescope or even binoculars if they look near the constellation of Cygnus, said New Scientist (www.newscientist.com).

The US publication Sky & Telecoscope (skyandtelescope.com), predicted a meteor shower on May 22 or May 23 as Earth travels through dusty debris trailed by the disintegrating comet.