A shadow of its former self, thanks to a brush with the sun, but what remains may still be visible to a curious public on Earth

Ison has survived its encounter with the sun – or at least part of it has. This means that it could still brighten sufficiently to be visible to the unaided eye in December's night skies. Estimates of what we will be able to see will improve over the next few days as astronomers track the comet's progress.

When will it be visible?

The comet is now moving away from the sun. It will be sufficiently far away from the sun's glare to become visible in the pre-dawn sky in the first week of December. The best time to start looking is around 6:30am from 2 December. The comet's tail will be sticking straight up into the sky.

Where do I need it look?

Look towards the east-south-east in the predawn sky. Every morning, the comet will rise a little earlier, and so be visible higher up in the sky. There is also a chance to glimpse the comet in the twilight sky of sunset, looking west-south-west. However, the tail is horizontal in the evenings and only experienced skywatchers are likely to pick it out.

Do I need a telescope?

Hopefully not, but this all depends on whether the comet brightens sufficiently to become visible without such aids. We will know in the next few days. If an optical instrument is needed, binoculars are often better for viewing comets than telescopes because binoculars have a larger field of view, allowing you to see more of the comet's tail.

Will it be brighter than Hale-Bopp?

No one knows yet but it seems unlikely at this stage. Comet Hale-Bopp graced the night skies in 1997 and was easily visible to the naked eye for months. In the case of Ison, it was only expected to be visible without optical instruments for a few weeks. But, now it has suffered such a dramatic dimming, it may struggle to reach naked-eye visibility.

Was it a comet that the three wise men followed?

Maybe. There are many hypotheses that seek to attribute the star of Bethlehem to a celestial event. Some involved the bright planets Jupiter and Saturn, others invoke exploding stars that can light the heavens for weeks or months. Comets are another popular theory. Halley's comet passed Earth in 12BC, leading to speculation that it may be the root of the story.