Comet Holmes, which unexpectedly exploded and expanded in the past couple of weeks, is now visible to the naked eye. The comet brightened by one-million times almost overnight.

The comet lacks the tail usually associated with such celestial bodies but can be seen in the northern sky, in the constellation Perseus, as a fuzzy spot of light about as bright as the stars in the Big Dipper.

Scientists speculate the comet has exploded because there are sinkholes in its nucleus, giving it a honeycomblike structure. The collapse exposed comet ice to the sun, which transformed the ice into gas.

Astronomers predict Holmes will maintain its current level of brightness until the middle of November.

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