HONOLULU -- People who live in Hawaii will get the best seats in the house for a unique scientific experiment in space: the collision of a spacecraft and a comet.

In January, NASA launched its Deep Impact Spacecraft on a 268-million mile journey to the comet Tempel One.

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NASA Deep Impact mission coverage

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Scientists hope to learn more about comets and where our ocean's water came from when the spacecraft collides with the comet.

"Comets are archaeological memories of the solar system and just like we use archaeology tools, bones, fragments from an ancient civilization to piece together the past, comets are a huge piece of our early solar system -- the chemistry, the physics of what was going on," University of Hawaii astronomer Karen Meech said.

NASA scheduled the impact so it could be watched from Mauna Kea Volcano.

Officials said there is nothing to be worried about from the collision.

"I think it'll be more like a semi going down the freeway at 70 mph and someone shooting a rifle at it. You are going to make a hole and that's about it," Meech said.

On Sunday night, people in Hawaii will be able to see the comet. Look in the Ewa direction to the left of Jupiter, scientists said.

Astronomers think the impact may be visible to the naked eye. The impact should produce a brief flash, and then the ejected debris may stay lit for hours, even days.

The impact will happen this Sunday at about 7:52 p.m. Hawaii Standard Time.

The Bishop Museum will be open from 5:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. for the comet collision.

The event has scientists excited.

"It's going to be tremendously exciting. But, I think at the end I want to sleep. I think most of the mission team is going to be up for 36-48 hours solid," Meech said.