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On New Year's Day, Comet Tuttle passed closest to Earth, at a distance of 23.5 million miles (37.8 million kilometers). Although it is now slowly moving away from the Earth, it will continue to slowly approach the sun, passing closest to it on Jan. 27. Comets are most visible when they near the sun, which lights up material that boils off the comet.

During these next two weeks, the comet will hold nearly steady in brightness at around magnitude 6. For those blessed with clear, dark skies far from significant light pollution, the comet might be even glimpsed with the unaided eye. But good binoculars or small telescopes will easily bring Tuttle into view if you know where to train them; it should appear as a small fuzzy star, possibly sporting a faint, narrow tail.