Comet Lovejoy, or C/2014 Q2, will peak in mid-January and it will be visible in the night sky throughout the month.
The comet was discovered by Terry Lovejoy, an Australian amateur astronomer, in August 2014. At a distance of 43.6 million miles, or 70.2 million kilometers, the comet was closest to the Earth on Jan. 7. The bright green comet has been visible on many nights during this month and astronomers predict that Comet Lovejoy will be visible on most nights of January, depending on the brightness of the moon.
Reports suggest that moonrise will start around an hour late in comparison to the previous night, which means progressive longer intervals of darkness that will also allow a viewing experience during early evenings of January.
Andreas Kammerer, a German astronomer, has been observing comet Lovejoy ever since its discovery and is amazed by the way the comet has appeared bright in the night sky. Kammerer predicts that the best of Comet Lovejoy is still to come.
"It is very astonishing that this comet shows a very steady increase with such a great activity parameter over many weeks," says Kammerer. "If it should continue this evolution it will reach magnitude 4.0 in mid-January, with the coma measuring about 25 arc minutes."
Astronomers suggest that even though the bright comet is visible to the naked eye, it's still very faint. Star gazers will have to take help of their binoculars or telescopes to get the best view of the Comet Lovejoy. The comet will be visible directly east of the Orion's belt, the three bright stars that appear in a row.
The comet will roughly retain its position throughout a night and will be visible as a green star on the sky. Comet Lovejoy will not streak across the sky as it is not a meteor. Although the position of the comet will roughly be the same in one given night it will change positions each night.
The best viewing experience of the comet will be away from the city lights and on a clear night. Star gazers should check the weather forecast before heading out to see Comet Lovejoy.
Astronomers estimate that after January this year, Comet Lovejoy will be visible from the Earth only after 8,000 years.
