Huge April Fools' Day Comet Will Make Closest Pass to Earth in History
While most of us will be busy covering toilet seats with plastic wrap and filling donut boxes with vegetables this Saturday, a comet known as the 41P/Tuttle-Giacobini-Kresák will flly the closest to Earth it's ever been. Don't believe us? We wouldn't kid around about something like this.
The comet's official name was given in honor of the three astronomers who discovered it, but due to it's unusual timing this year, it's been dubbed the April Fools' Day Comet. It was first discovered back in 1858 and passes Earth every five and a half years, but this time the icy body of space mass will be closer than ever.
But don't worry: It's not going to collide into us. It'll still be 13.2 million miles away or almost 50 times the distance from the moon. But that doesn't mean you can't try to scare your friends and family members with a perfectly-timed joke implying it's headed our way. Just make sure you scream "April Fools" before they start actually prepping for Doomsday.
Want to catch a peek of the comet? Your best chance is Saturday night at 9 p.m. Eastern Standard Time. Since it's too small to be seen with the naked eye (it's less than a mile in diameter), you'll need binoculars or a telescope and should point your lenses near the Big Dipper. If clouds obscure your view, visit the astronomy website Slooh.com, which will be tracking the comet live from the Canary Islands.
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