A spectacular green comet is making a once-in-a-lifetime approach to Earth.
Comet Lovejoy is expected to be at its peak visibility over the next two weeks, before it disappears for another 8,000 years.
Experts reckon the recently-discovered comet is just about bright enough to be glimpsed as a small smudge of light with the naked eye.
Through a small telescope or binoculars it appears as a softly glowing, bluish green ball.
Like other comets, Lovejoy is a big chunk of ice and dust orbiting the sun. The object last passed through the inner solar system 11,500 years ago and is not expected to return for another 8,000.
Astronomers say the comet reached its closest point to Earth on January 7 - a distance of 43.6 million miles away - but it will remain easy to spot for the next two weeks.
The comet can be found by looking to the right of Orion, about two hand widths below the "seven sisters" Pleiades star cluster.
Over the next two weeks, the comet crosses the constellations of Taurus, Aries and Triangulum, climbing higher in the sky.
