In 1577, a bright comet was visible for several months.

Although it was one of the brighter comets in years, early predictions that it would be visible to the naked eye did not pan out.

Unusual for such a relatively bright comet, its perihelion was farther from the Sun than the Earth's orbit.

Look quick to spot a bright comet (Astronomy May 20, 2008)

He observed the bright comet of the 1860 and two years later discovered a periodic comet.

With a 25-mile diameter, it is one of the largest ever seen and may be the brightest comet of the century.

The group is now known as the Kreutz Sungrazers, and has produced some of the brightest comets ever seen.

It proved to be one of the brightest comets seen in the last thousand years, and is sometimes known as the Great Comet of 1965.

A bright comet had also been recorded by Chinese astronomers in 1661.

In times past, bright comets often inspired panic and hysteria in the general population, being thought of as bad omens.