Extrasolar visitor

So, while I was sitting and waiting for my visa, I looked out of the window and saw some things in the sky that look like stars. I'm pretty sure most of them are stars, but apparently there will be something else for us to look at, up there in the firmament, in a few months time: Comet Elenin, which was discovered last December by a Russian amateur astronomer, Leonid Elenin, is coming in on a hyperbolic orbit, the perihelion of which will be roughly halfway between our Solar orbit and the Sun, and will occur in September. The comet's closest approach to Earth will take place on 17 October, when it will be roughly 0.232 AU (35 million km) from us. If this comet doesn't lose too much in the way of volatiles before it gets to us, we should be able to see it with binoculars, and perhaps even with the nude and unclad eye for a good month either side of this date! Well actually, since it will be between us and the Sun before about 1 October, we may only be able to see it some time thereafter.