Every once in a while, a celestial event opens over our skies that you do not want to miss. Whether it’s the Lyrid meteor shower, a supermoon, or the Northern Lights, the night sky always puts on a good show. Right now, the sky is putting on a once-in-a-lifetime show featuring an ancient comet that hasn’t been seen since the time of the ancient Egyptians. Read on below to learn more about the comet and how to see it before it’s gone forever.

A comet is a celestial body commonly seen in the night sky. They have a bright head made of ice and dust. Sometimes, comets show long tails as they let off gas and debris. Certain comets may appear every few years or every thousand years.
Chris Baird/Flickr
The C/2019 Y4 (ATLAS), or Comet ATLAS, is a long-period comet that has not been seen from Earth in more than 4,000 years. It was discovered in late 2019, and astronomers have been closely watching its approach to Earth.
Martin Gembec/Wikipedia

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The comet has dimmed since it was first discovered, and it will keep doing so. On April 28, it broke into several pieces. But if you are so inclined, you still have a chance to see this once-in-a-lifetime comet for yourself. The graphic below shows the comet's location in the sky through June 2020. Comet ATLAS's closest approach to Earth will be on May 23.
Tomruen/Wikipedia
If you'd like to see the comet, there are a few things you should know. First, look north into the sky. The comet will be near the constellation Camelopardalis until May 12. Then, it will move into Perseus. While the comet is not visible with the naked eye, you should be able to see it through high-powered binoculars or a telescope.
Raysastrophotography/Wikipedia

This once-in-a-lifetime event happens even less frequently than a blue moon! Dust off your binoculars for to see the show. You can learn more about spotting the comet here. To read more about other celestial phenomenon, check out our article about the 2020 Lyrid meteor shower.

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