You can see the bright NEOWISE comet barreling around the sun. Here’s where to look

A recently discovered comet is burning bright enough to catch the attention of professional astronomers and backyard stargazers alike in recent days, and as it draws nearer, millions more Americans will be able to see it for themselves, experts say.

The NEOWISE comet, dubbed for NASA’s Near Earth Object Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer telescope that spotted it in March, is looping around the sun in a trajectory that will bring it closer toward Earth as the month rolls on, according to NASA.

Russian astronaut Ivan Vagner took pictures from the International Space Station, calling it the brightest comet of the last seven years.

C/2020 F3, the comet’s official name, could only be seen by telescope until very recently but has been visible to the unaided eye since early this month. Still, it will be much easier to see next week, outlets report.

Where, when, how to look

The comet is already visible in the early morning and late evening, but it will be best viewed about July 12, Space.com reported, and it will gradually turn invisible to the naked eye by August, and telescopes will again be needed.

Clear nights are ideal. Get as far away from light pollution as possible, according to the outlet. Look low in the northwest sky to catch sight of the comet barreling past, and slightly upward each night after, as its orientation rises.

From July 12 forward, viewing will generally be better in the evening hours, according to Space.com

C/2020 F3 will be especially low on the horizon during the early morning, Karl Battams, an astrophysicist with the Naval Research Laboratory, told CNN.

“For the northern hemisphere, it’s very low to the horizon in the early morning,” Battams said. “People need to get up early, but it’s easily visible with binoculars.”