If you happen to be awake at 3 a.m., you might be lucky enough to see the comet Ikeya-Zhung.
This comet was first seen in this rotation on Feb. 1 by Kaoru Ikeya and Daqing Zhang. The last time this comet was seen passing earth was in 1661. Astronomists believe the comet will pass by Earth again in another 200 or 300 years.
Ronald Kaitchuck, professor of physics and astronomy, said it can be seen at about 3 a.m. in the north sky.
"It's really bright if your not inside the city, if your in the country you can see it with the naked eye," Kaitchuck said.
Because of the bright lights from the cities, this comet is best seen in the low sky in an area where there is little effect from city lights.
According to Harvard University research, the comet will be visible to sky watchers in the Northern Hemisphere. Ikeya-Zhung can be seen in the low western sky about an hour after sunset, but will be fading soon. The comet will slowly fade to be visible only with binoculars until late May or June.
"It's fading," Kaitchuck said. "Researchers think that it's reached its peak as it's getting further from the sun," Kaitchuck said.
Kaitchuck also said several thousands of comet pass through the sky all the time. It is rare to see a comet with the naked eye.
Comets close enough to been seen with the naked eye are usually not large, Kaitchuck said. He said Ikeya-Zhung has a nucleus of about five to six miles. Its long tail makes it visible in the night sky.
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