Astronomers across the world are calling 2013 the “Year of the Comet,” as two major comets in the sky are becoming visible to the naked eye this year.

Starting March 7, the Comet Pan-STARRS will be passing over the Northern Hemisphere. Pan-STARR is a comet so big and magnificent that it can be seen clearly in the night sky without aid from binoculars or a telescope.

Comet Pan-STARRS hails from the Oort Cloud, a cluster of icy asteroid belts about one light year from Earth. This event is rare and special because just one rock out of an unimaginable number in the Oort Cloud left orbit at exactly the right angle and time to pass by the sun far enough as to not burn up completely and close enough that it can be seen from Earth.

To view this rare astrological phenomenon, look to the West at sunset and find an unobscured view of the horizon, as the comet hangs low and moves lower each day. Be sure to arrive on time and be vigilant, as it is only visible for a few minutes each night.

According to astronomers, the easiest time to spot the comet will be a half-hour after sunset on Tuesday and Wednesday, March 12 and 13, thanks to a young crescent moon that will act as a guide in tracking down Comet Pan-STARRS in the dimming Western sky.

This is not the last comet to pass by Earth in 2013. This coming November, Comet Ison is expected to light up the sky day and night for a month, if it does not burn up first. It is predicted to be as bright as a full moon and will be visible anytime during the day in the Western Hemisphere.

Sources:

http://www.space.com/20123-comet-pan-starrs-brightest-weekend.html

http://earthsky.org/space/comet-panstarrs-possibly-visible-to-eye-in-march-2013