Comet to Pass by Earth on New Year's Eve

While the rest of us are ringing in the New Year with a chambong (that's a beer bong for champagne), the night sky will be welcoming 2017 with a comet. CBS News reports Comet 45P, aka Honda-Mrkos-Pajdušáková, will appear near the crescent moon on Saturday night. The comet, which appears every five years, will pass by the Earth at a distance of more than 7 million miles, which is actually fairly close, astronomically speaking, according to EarthSky. Amateur astronomers will need to use powerful binoculars or a telescope and look to the west just after sunset to catch a glimpse of 45P—though the comet can be difficult to spot even for professionals. (More comet stories.)