Comet Wirtanen will be visible in Irish skies this week. Image: Country Living MagazineNow if there was ever a way to get into the magic of Christmas season, this is it.
A once in a lifetime ‘Christmas comet’ is set to fly close to Ireland this month, astronomy experts have said.
The comet, named 'Wirtanen' will pass “unusually close” to earth as festive celebrations kick off, appearing brightest in mid-December.
Wirtanen is already visible in different spots around the globe, and is set to be visible high in Irish skies in the evening time.
Astronomy Ireland, a non-profit group for people interested in space, will be setting up some of the most powerful telescopes in Ireland this Friday for a ‘comet watch,’ reports The Independent.
David Moore, chairman of Astronomy Ireland, said it may be the only chance people in Ireland have to see the comet so clearly.
"We have not had a comet this well placed and bright for many years. We've dubbed Comet Wirtanen 'the Christmas Comet of 2018' for this reason,” he told The Independent.
"We want to give the general public a close up look at this comet in powerful telescopes. We'll show them where it is in the sky with the naked eye and then show them a close up view several thousand times better in the telescopes.”
Mr Moore has calculated that Wirtanen will not come this close to earth in the next 500 years.
“This is a once in a lifetime event not to be missed,” he said.
