USA Today reported on the story.
A comet that has fascinated scientists for five years approaches its closest distance from Earth this week, and you may be able to see it.
David Jewitt, an Earth, planetary and space sciences professor at the University of California, Los Angeles, said there was a chance of seeing the comet on Wednesday or Thursday.
People will need a small telescope or binoculars to see it, according to experts.
Jewitt warned stargazers that the K2 comet will be a long way from Earth. The sun is close to 93 million miles away.
Jewitt said that the comet is one heck of a long way.
There is a lot to know about K2 and how you can see it.
What was the first time K2 was found?
The K2 PANSTARRS comet caught the attention of experts at the Hawaii based Panoramic Survey Telescope and Rapid Response System. The comet's pre-discovery images were eventually found.
According to NASA, it traveled for millions of years from the frigid depths of the solar system to where it is today.
The Hubble Space Telescope captured the farthest active inbound comet. Jewitt said it was observed at 17 times the Earth- sun distance. The farthest-observed comet on record was the Bernardinelli-Bernstein comet, according to scientists.
The comet came from the Oort Cloud, according to scientists.
The Oort Cloud, where many comets are believed to have originated, is thought to be where K2 came from. The cloud is made of icy pieces of space debris the size of mountains.
According to NASA, K2 was found in a part of the solar system where the sun is only half as bright as we see from Earth.
The comet is packed with materials that have been frozen. Material from the beginning of the solar system is what we're looking at when studying comets.
K2 will travel to Earth.
The minimum distance from our planet to K2 is 170 million miles.
There is a comet in the sky.
The comet is moving at an average of 21 miles per second in July. Around 11 p.m., K2's minimum distance will be reached. He said the comet's speed would be zero miles per second.
The time of minimum distance from us will be lower if we consider the component of that speed in our direction.
Scientists are interested in why K2 is so popular.
Jewitt said that K2 was coming in from the Oort Cloud. K2 became active at an "unprecedented" 35 units which represent the average distance from Earth to the Sun.
According to data from the Center for Near Earth Object Studies, K2's close-approach distance is equivalent to almost two full moons.
Jewitt said that Neptune is 30 times the Earth's sun distance. "It's really active far out, and that's why it's scientifically interesting, because that allows us to study whatever process it is that drives the activity at very large distances and very cold temperatures."
Jewitt said that experts think frozen carbon monoxide has kept K2 active.
Here is where to look at the K2 views.
The Virtual Telescope Project is going to host a live feed. Spectators who don't have a telescope are invited to watch.
There are hundreds of comets that have come closer to Earth than K2 and it will not be a spectacular viewing for the general public. On K2's flyby date, the full moon will be in the sky, which could make it difficult to see.
Both experts agree that you can see K2 with a small telescope or binoculars.
The comet will be visible in the northern and southern hemispheres.
Masi said that a dark sky offered the best view. He wants to observe K2 over the next few nights. He said that looking up earlier in the evening would give the best view.
The comet will be shown by small telescopes.
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