First a meteor exploded over Russia , followed closely by an asteroid fly-by . Now , two comets are expected to put on a naked-eye spectacle for sky watchers in the Northern Hemisphere . Up first is Comet Pan-STARRS , which gets its funky name from the telescope credited with discovering it in June 2001 : the Panoramic Survey Telescope & Rapid Response System in Hawaii . The comet is already visible through telescopes in the Southern Hemisphere , and it should swing into view over the Northern Hemisphere beginning around March 8 . It 's hard to predict exactly how bright Pan-STARRS will be , but you should be able to see it without binoculars or telescopes , said Don Yeomans of NASA 's Near-Earth Object Program . It should be about as bright as the stars in the Big Dipper . Science Seat : Don Yeomans . `` There is a chance that it will be a little brighter than this , but likewise , it might not get quite that bright , '' said Karl Battams of the Naval Research Lab . Graphic : How to tell space rocks apart . Part of the brightness will depend on how close Pan-STARRS gets to the sun . Comets are made up of water , ice , dust and other elements and minerals , all loosely packed together , Battams said . As a comet gets closer to the sun , the sun 's heat causes these elements to melt , spewing out dust and gas in a brilliant tail . `` The closer it gets , the more intense the radiation and the more elements will be melted , '' he said . Pan-STARRS is expected to get fairly close to the sun . That 's bad news for the comet , but it could be a boon for sky watchers if the comet is brighter and easier to see . Pan-STARRS also could fall apart and fizzle . But if it survives its sunbath , we should be able to see it low on the horizon in the western sky for a couple of weeks , Battams said . `` About half an hour after sunset would be a good time for people take a look , '' he said . Here are some key dates : . March 5 : Pan-STARRS will be closest to Earth ; . March 10 : The comet will pass closest to the sun ; . March 12 and 13 : The best dates to look for Pan-STARRS ; it should emerge in the western sunset sky not far from the crescent moon . Battams has these viewing tips : . 1 ) Safety first : Do n't try to look at the comet until the sun sets . Do not look at the sun using regular binoculars or telescopes . Ever ! You 'll burn up your eyes . 2 ) Comet Pan-STARRS will stay close to the horizon , so you 'll need to get away from trees and buildings . 3 ) Look carefully ! The sky will still be bright at dusk , which can make it hard to spot comets . 4 ) If the skies are clear , and you are away from city light pollution , you may be able to see the comet with your bare eyes . If not , use binoculars . 5 ) If you ca n't escape the city , try using binoculars . Second chance to catch a comet . If your quest to see the first comet does n't pan out -- get it ? ( OK , that 's bad ) -- we might get to see a better comet later in 2013 : Comet ISON . ISON was discovered by Russian astronomers Vitali Nevski and Artyom Novichonok in September 2012 . It 's named after their night-sky survey program , the International Scientific Optical Network . Some early comet prognosticators -- and reporters -- have tagged ISON `` the Comet of Century . '' But Yeomans is n't buying it just yet . He remembers being duped by another comet with that same moniker . In 1973 , Kohoutek was hyped , too , and it fizzled . `` Predicting the behavior of comets is like predicting the behavior of cats -- ca n't really be done , '' he said . So here is the hype on ISON : On November 28 , it is expected to dive into the sun 's atmosphere . If it survives , it might glow as brightly as the moon and be briefly visible in daylight . Its tail might stretch far across the night sky . Battams is optimistic , but he said we wo n't know until late summer what to expect from ISON . `` I 'll be surprised if we do n't have a bright comet this fall and/or winter , but it 's still just too early to speculate , '' he said . So , like Pan-STARRS , ISON 's fate will be decided by the sun . It could burn brightly and earn that `` Comet of the Century '' title ; it could melt or it could just break apart . Scientists say neither comet poses any threat to Earth , but if both comets hold together , sky watchers will get a rare treat : two comets , both bright enough to be seen with the naked eye , in one year . Fingers crossed ! More space and science news from CNN Light Years .
Comet Pan-STARRS will swing into view over the Northern Hemisphere beginning March 7 . It will stay close to the horizon , so you 'll need to get away from trees and buildings to see it . Comment: