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Rare chance to see comet with naked eye

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    Steve Harrigan reports from South Florida

  • Duration 2:15
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Getting a rare chance to witness a journey a hundred million years in the making.

Tonight I am Wednesday folks in the Northern Hemisphere can see a comment -- their own eyes.

Thomas a religious dirty ice -- recent through space normally be telescopes and binoculars -- something to look at them get a good look anyway but weather permitting.

There should be no need for special viewing equipment to see this one as it approaches our son.

These pictures show how the -- looked from Australia last week.

During its debut there in the Southern Hemisphere back on this side of the equator astronomers say the best time to catch it is about forty minutes after sunset wherever you are.

And to watch for it in the next crescent moon in the western -- Steve -- shop floor tonight what what exactly will people see is they look at that Chris moon westerns.

Shepherd this has stargazers very excited they consider this.

An opportunity comes along just once every 100000.

Years.

And for many -- we spoke to they consider this the chance of a lifetime.

This is its first approach so we're aware of and it's only going to be coming around if we're lucky in the next 100000 years so.

We'll never have in our lifetimes our children's lifetimes so this is definitely a once in a lifetime event to be seen now.

The pan -- comment was actually discovered just two years ago by scientists in Hawaii.

They're using a giant digital camera to try and see if there any threatening asteroids which could impact the -- -- No chance this is gonna slam and -- around.

Now it's at least a hundred million miles away and that's at its closest point it is -- giant ball as you said about the size of the island of Manhattan.

It's moving at a speed of about thirty miles a second and it is followed by a distinctive tail.

Comments are basically.

Clumps of vice mostly -- with some dust and rock and -- -- the come close to the sun they've guests are the guys vapor rises to a gas and that makes -- -- The long tail.

Stretching behind the comment.

This -- makes its way from the ice cloud who worked at the very edge of the solar system.

It's a -- -- have a 100000 years comes to a close tonight when we can see it.

And it will be visible with the naked -- for about just fifteen minutes -- Steve Harrigan in South Florida -- Steve thank.

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