Sometimes when comets go by the Sun, the intense heat shining on the icy nucleus causes the comet to break apart. It surprised astronomers by dissolving after it came close to the Sun on July 26, 2000. Some comets are discovered by scientists looking through telescopes. These pictures are posted on the Internet. By examining the SOHO images on the Internet, amateur scientists are discovering many comets.
Amateurs are people who look for comets as a fun hobby.
The stars are beautiful to study, and star maps label the known stars for you. Other books tell the locations of the known comets. If you study the sky, the books, and the maps, then you can start to look for your own comets. If you watch the sky, binoculars or a telescope will help you to see the fainter objects. A good place to start is the Big Dipper.