Comet to cruise past Earth on New Year's Eve

Keep your eyes peeled for a comet streaking across the nighttime sky on New Year's Eve. NASA announced this week that Comet 45P/Honda-Mrkos-Pajdušáková will appear near the moon on Dec. 31, as it makes its closest approach to the sun.

However, binoculars will likely be needed to spot the blue-green orb, as it will be 30 times farther away from the Earth than the moon.

The comet, which makes a full orbit around the Earth once every 5.25 years, made its first appearance of 2016 on Dec. 15 near the M75 star cluster. It is expected to make one more appearance in February after it circles back around the sun.

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To find out if you'll be able to spot the comet from your sliver of the Northern Hemisphere on New Year's Eve, go to TheSkyLive.com.