A comet visible with the naked eye, or at the least binoculars, isn’t a common occurrence. This is part of the reason why the discovery of the comet NEOWISE is gathering attention. The comet, which was discovered in March, made its closest approach to the sun on July 3rd and is now moving away. 

Pierre Schierle is the president of the Regina Centre of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada. He said those who want to catch a glimpse of the celestial object should do so by looking to the north. 

"The best time to look for this comet is late at night,” Schierle explained. “It's very low in the north sky. You kind of have to wait for it to get dark and wait for the comet to get high enough to see. Around 11:30 or later you should be able to see it." 

Those who are unable to stay up to see the comet after it gets dark can also try to catch a glimpse of it during the dawn hours, when it appears in the northeastern skies, again, barely above the horizon. 

Schierle recommended having a clear view of the horizon in order to see the comet, given where it appears in the night sky. 

"You want to get to a location, though, where you’re not going to have any houses or trees in your way because it’s just going to be a few fingers to a fist high off the horizon,” Schierle pointed out.  

The comet is expected to remain visible to the naked eye for much of the month, and as it moves, will appear to be passing through the constellation of Ursa Major, which contains The Big Dipper.  

A comet is an icy object which passes through the solar system. As it gets closer to the sun, radiation and heat from the sun cause it to melt, which gives the appearance of a tail streaming off.  

Comets are a relatively infrequent occurrence in the night skies. Some years, ones passing through our part of the solar system are visible to the naked eye, and sometimes they aren’t. Many consider NEOWISE to be one of the brightest comets to be spotted in the sky in decades.