How to spot comet C/2024 E1 (Wierzchos) this weekend
Heads up, space fans! The newly discovered comet C/2024 E1 (Wierzchos) may be visible with binoculars from favorable locations and dark skies.
Discovered on March 3, 2024, by Kacper Wierzchos, it swung closest to the Sun on January 20 and was reported at about +8.2 magnitude on Feb. 17, 2026; it has been observed in Cetus.
Where and when to see the comet
You'll need binoculars or a telescope—this one's too faint for the naked eye.
Look for a fuzzy patch low in the southwest sky after sunset.
It's hanging out in Grus until early March, then slides into Eridanus where observers in Cambridge (UK) could spot it on March 4, 6, and 8 if they time it right.
The comet's journey and Webb's findings
C/2024 E1 comes from way out in the Oort Cloud and takes millions of years to orbit.
It passed at about 1.01 AU of Earth on February 17, and NASA's James Webb Space Telescope had earlier spotted carbon dioxide streaming off it—but no carbon monoxide was detected.