Overview

• The closest approach is expected on October 21 at roughly 89–90 million kilometers from Earth, or about 0.6 astronomical units, according to Russia’s Space Research Institute as reported by RIA Novosti.
• Institute scientists say the comet is likely near peak luminosity and should remain observable through late October into early November.
• Astronomer Alexander Yakushechkin reports the brightness shifted from magnitude 4.6 to 5.7 and has risen again to about 4.5, with a forecast near magnitude 4 on October 21 and potential naked‑eye visibility at dark sites.
• Specialists note active structure in the tail with clumps and vortices indicating unstable jets and variable solar wind effects.
• Skywatchers can look in the northwest after dusk and the northeast before dawn at southern mid‑latitudes such as Crimea, with the comet near Arcturus around October 21 and moving toward Serpens by October 26.