ORLANDO, Fla. - No one alive today has ever seen this comet.

Comet Tsuchinshan-ATLAS, also known as Comet A3, is making its trip from the outer solar system on its closest approach to Earth.

The comet, thought to have an orbit around the sun greater than 80,000 years, will have two different viewing opportunities over the next month.

The first comes around in late September, starting on the 27th and continuing until Oct. 2, just before sunrise. Binoculars or a small telescope may be necessary for viewing during this period. The comet will appear like a fuzzy ball of light and low in the eastern sky.

The 27th also marks perihelion, or closet point to the sun. After that, the comet will start its trip back to the outer solar system.

An even better viewing opportunity presents itself in the middle of October, but there is one caveat: It has to survive the trip around the sun.

Oftentimes, comets that show promise to be prominent in the night sky break apart as they get close to the sun.

If it survives the trip around the sun, the comet could be visible with the naked eye as it makes its closest approach to earth, from Oct. 13-24.

Visibility then shifts to the western sky during the evening. The comet will get higher in the sky each night until it disappears from for the next 80,000 years.

Forecasting the brightness of a comet is notoriously difficult. Comets have been known to brighten and dim unexpectedly and rapidly.

Currently, the comet is forecast to reach magnitude 2.5. The lower the number, the brighter the object. Naked eye visibility begins at around 5.

While there is still some uncertainty, this comet may provide the best viewing in years.