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Overview:

On December 16, comet 46P/Wirtanen will safely fly by Earth at a distance of only 7.2 million miles (11.7 million kilometers). From dark-sky locations on Earth, the comet will be visible to the unaided eye – shining brightest on Sunday but visible now through the next week or two. Look to the Pleiades star cluster in the constellation Taurus to spot it.

Learn more about the comet and how to watch on the NASA Science website. Watch "What's Up for December 2018" to find out what else you can see in the sky this month.

Related activities for educators and students: 

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  Type Slideshow

  Topic Small Bodies

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• 
  Comet on a Stick

  Students build their own comet models using craft materials.

  Grades 2-8

  Time 30 mins - 1 hr

• 
  Create a Comet with Dry Ice

  Build an icy model of a comet out of dry ice -- complete with shooting jets! -- as a demonstration for students.

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• 
  Art and the Cosmic Connection

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  Grades K-12

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• 
  Planetary Poetry

  In this cross-curricular STEM and language arts lesson, students learn about planets, stars and space missions and write STEM-inspired poetry to share their knowledge of or inspiration about these topics.

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• 
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