A tailless comet is set to fly past Earth today and the University of Reading is imploring amateur astronomers to take a picture of it for them.  

The research team is expecting a coronial mass ejection to arrive at the comet on Saturday, February 24 and Monday, February 26.

This will provide an extremely rare opportunity to photograph the comet and is the first time it has ever been possible.

Professor of Space and Atmospheric Physics Chris Scott said “We are asking anyone with a small telescope if they could take a picture of this comet for us because we cannot get a clear photograph using a spacecraft.

“Comets are a brilliant way of getting information about wind because they are like little wind sockets.

“We’re asking amateur astronomers to look at that comet for us and see if they can see any changes in the tail.”

The comet poses no danger to Earth - it is about the same distance from our planet as we are from the sun - but scientists need images of C/2021 S3 Pannstars from amateur astronomers to improve forecasts of space weather.

These forecasts are vital to prevent problems caused by solar winds, which are streams of particles containing solar storms that can damage technology in space and on Earth. 

University of Reading PhD researcher leading the project Sarah Watson said: “What we are expecting to see may look rather unusual. When we talk about comets, people often think of a large, bright sphere followed by a long thin tail.  

“The comet we are observing may look different as its tail could ‘detach’ as it is buffeted by solar winds. 

“We need lots of timed photos of the comet to build up a picture of its journey through our solar system. This is a fantastic opportunity for amateur astronomers to get out their telescopes, capture a truly spectacular cosmic moment and make a big contribution to some important science.” 

The comet has been visible in the UK night sky from Wednesday, 14 February, but will be easier for astronomers to spot in the coming weeks as it appears further away from the sun and stays above the horizon in the night sky for longer.

The comet will not be visible to the naked eye, so stargazers will need a small telescope to which they can attach a camera or a camera with a big lens to capture the comet. It is expected to be in view until the end of March.