A Bright Comet Appears In The Northern Hemisphere For The First Time In Years [PHOTOS]

2013-03-13T20:02:00Z

Pan STARRS at Burns Beach, Perth, Australia Erax7 (Mike/Flickr)

Comets that are visible to the naked eye only happen once in every five to 10 years, according to NASA.

That's why skywatchers around the world are lucky to see Comet Pan-STARRS dazzling at its brightest before it starts to get fainter in the night sky throughout the next few weeks.

Comet Pan-STARRS was discovered in June 2011 by a telescope in Hawaii.

The clump of ice and rocks has been visible to those in the Southern Hemisphere for several weeks, but people in the Northern Hemisphere were able to see it for the first time on Monday, March 11.

For those who have not had the opportunity to see the comet, we have collected some pictures on Flickr, taken by photographers from all parts of the globe.

Here is the comet, tail and all, over Burns Beach, Perth, Australia, on March 3, 2013

Pan-STARRS hangs above the shimmering city of Bariloche, Argentina, on March 3.

Comet Pan STARRS Bariloche, Argentina — Pant-STARRS over Bariloche, Argentina Guillermo Abramson

Gabriel Brammer took this shot of the comet over the coast of Chile at sunset on March 4.

Pan-STARRS Gabriel Bammer — Comet Pan-STARRS at Paranal Observatory Gabriel Brammer

Javier Falcón Quintana got a great shot of the comet sailing above Gran Canaria on March 11.

Comet Pan Starrs from Gran Canaria — Comet Pan-STARRS from Gran Canaria Javier Falcón Quintana

Thad Szabo captured this incredible image of the comet in the evening sky over Venice, California on March 11.

Pan-STARRS Thad Szabo — Comet PANSTARRS (C/2011 L4) shot from Venice, CA Thad Szabo

Here's another one of Thad Szabo's shots of the comet and the waxing crescent moon, taken near Cerritos College in California.

Comet Pan-STARRS and waxing crescent moon shot from Cerritos College Thad Szabo

Jack Swinden caught this photo not long after sunset at Bowman Springs Park in Arlington, Texas on March 12.

Comet Pan STARRS Jack Swinden — Next to the crescent moon in Arlington, TX Jack Swinden

You can see the comet's tail (the signature characteristic of a comet) clearly in this image, also taken from Arlington, Texas, taken on March 12.

Comet Pan STARRS after Sunset from Arlington TX — Comet PANSTARRS C/2011 L4 photographed at Bowman Springs Park in Arlington, Texas on 12 March 2013. Taken about 51 minutes after sunset. Jack Swinden

Beautiful shot over the Brisbane mountain ranges, Australia, on March 3, 2013.

Gleb Lapham caught Pan-STARRS passing over the Utah desert on March 9, 2013.

Pan STARRS Gleg Labham (Utah) — Pan-STARRS passing over the Utah desert Gleb Labham

Here is the comet peeking through the smog above the mountains over Los Angeles. It was taken by astronomer Mike Brown.

Pan STARRS over Los Angeles by Mike Brown.JPG — Taken by astronomer Mike Brown Mike Brown

Marc Crumpler caught the comet during the crescent moon above Round Valley, CA on March 12.

Comet by Marc Crumpler — Above Round Valley, CA Marc Crumpler

Photographer Scott Ackerman got this beautiful shot at Monument Rocks in Northwest Kansas, on March 12.

Pan STARRS in Kansas by Scott Ackerman — A quick trip up to Monument Rocks of NW Kansas in hopes of a glimpse of the moon along side Comet Pan-starrs. Scott Ackerman

Two comets are seen in this image from the Paranal Observatory in Chile. From left to right: the Small Magellanic Cloud is the cluster top left, Comet Lemmon is shooting across the center of the shot and Pan-STARRS is way off to the right in the distance, drifting into the sunset.

Pan STARRS, Lemmon, and Small Magellanic Cloud by Gabriel Bammer from Paranal — The Small Magelllanic Cloud is the cluster top left, Comet Lemmon is shooting across the center of the shot and Pan-STARRS is way off to the right in the distance, drifting into the sunset Gabriel Brammer

See more dazzling sky shows.

A Bright Comet Appears In The Northern Hemisphere For The First Time In Years [PHOTOS]

Here is the comet, tail and all, over Burns Beach, Perth, Australia, on March 3, 2013

Pan-STARRS hangs above the shimmering city of Bariloche, Argentina, on March 3.

Gabriel Brammer took this shot of the comet over the coast of Chile at sunset on March 4.

Javier Falcón Quintana got a great shot of the comet sailing above Gran Canaria on March 11.

Thad Szabo captured this incredible image of the comet in the evening sky over Venice, California on March 11.

Here's another one of Thad Szabo's shots of the comet and the waxing crescent moon, taken near Cerritos College in California.

Jack Swinden caught this photo not long after sunset at Bowman Springs Park in Arlington, Texas on March 12.

You can see the comet's tail (the signature characteristic of a comet) clearly in this image, also taken from Arlington, Texas, taken on March 12.

Beautiful shot over the Brisbane mountain ranges, Australia, on March 3, 2013.

Gleb Lapham caught Pan-STARRS passing over the Utah desert on March 9, 2013.

Here is the comet peeking through the smog above the mountains over Los Angeles. It was taken by astronomer Mike Brown.

Marc Crumpler caught the comet during the crescent moon above Round Valley, CA on March 12.

Photographer Scott Ackerman got this beautiful shot at Monument Rocks in Northwest Kansas, on March 12.

Two comets are seen in this image from the Paranal Observatory in Chile. From left to right: the Small Magellanic Cloud is the cluster top left, Comet Lemmon is shooting across the center of the shot and Pan-STARRS is way off to the right in the distance, drifting into the sunset.

See more dazzling sky shows.

Our Favorite Shots From The Greatest Meteor Shower Of The Year >

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A Bright Comet Appears In The Northern Hemisphere For The First Time In Years [PHOTOS]

Here is the comet, tail and all, over Burns Beach, Perth, Australia, on March 3, 2013

Pan-STARRS hangs above the shimmering city of Bariloche, Argentina, on March 3.

Gabriel Brammer took this shot of the comet over the coast of Chile at sunset on March 4.

Javier Falcón Quintana got a great shot of the comet sailing above Gran Canaria on March 11.

Thad Szabo captured this incredible image of the comet in the evening sky over Venice, California on March 11.

Here's another one of Thad Szabo's shots of the comet and the waxing crescent moon, taken near Cerritos College in California.

Jack Swinden caught this photo not long after sunset at Bowman Springs Park in Arlington, Texas on March 12.

You can see the comet's tail (the signature characteristic of a comet) clearly in this image, also taken from Arlington, Texas, taken on March 12.

Beautiful shot over the Brisbane mountain ranges, Australia, on March 3, 2013.

Gleb Lapham caught Pan-STARRS passing over the Utah desert on March 9, 2013.

Here is the comet peeking through the smog above the mountains over Los Angeles. It was taken by astronomer Mike Brown.

Marc Crumpler caught the comet during the crescent moon above Round Valley, CA on March 12.

Photographer Scott Ackerman got this beautiful shot at Monument Rocks in Northwest Kansas, on March 12.

Two comets are seen in this image from the Paranal Observatory in Chile. From left to right: the Small Magellanic Cloud is the cluster top left, Comet Lemmon is shooting across the center of the shot and Pan-STARRS is way off to the right in the distance, drifting into the sunset.

See more dazzling sky shows.

Our Favorite Shots From The Greatest Meteor Shower Of The Year >

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