Can the small comets be seen by the naked eye?
You cannot see an intact small comet with the naked eye, but if you have a lot of patience–and a little luck–you might be able to see a small comet immediately after it breaks apart in the atmosphere. To see the flash produced by the disruption of a small comet you must stand out on a clear dark night, looking up at a 40 degree angle, until you see a short streak that quickly snuffs out. It will be about the brightness of Venus for about two seconds before it vanishes. But you will have to be out there for a hundred hours or so to see one. A hundred hours of clear night viewing does not happen often in the average lifetime.
