NASA has revealed how a huge comet will be visible in the night sky this week as it reaches its brightest point.
The comet, called Comet 168P-Hergenrother, is expected to be visible with the naked eye and will appear as a large bright star with a tail of light trailing behind it, reports Mirror Online.
Here’s everything you need to know about the comet, including what it is and when you can see it.
What is Comet 168P/Hergenrother?
Comet 168P/Hergenrother was first discovered in 1998.
NASA explains: “Comets are cosmic snowballs of frozen gases, rock and dust that orbit the Sun.
“When frozen, they are the size of a small town. When a comet's orbit brings it close to the Sun, it heats up and spews dust and gases into a giant glowing head larger than most planets.
“The dust and gases form a tail that stretches away from the Sun for millions of miles.”
When will it be visible?
On the night of Thursday, August 22, comet 168P/Hergenrother is forecast to reach its brightest point.
The comet will lie at a distance of 1.37 AU from the Sun, and at a distance of 1.13 AU from the Earth.
For those of you in the UK, the comet will be most visible at around 21:15 BST, and will disappear at around 04:25 on Friday morning.
How to see the comet
For your best chance of seeing the comet, look just above the eastern horizon at around 21.15 BST.
The comet will look like a large bright star, with a tail of light trailing behind it.
