Comet NEOWISE lights up the night sky


Comet C / 2020 F3 NEOWISE is presenting a unique screen when it crosses out of Earth’s orbit on its way back to the outer parts of the solar system.



Comet Neowise appears above Mount Washington in the night sky as seen from the Dee Wright Observatory at McKenzie Pass on July 14, 2020.


© Chris Pietsch / The Register-Guard via USA TODAY NETWORK
Comet Neowise appears above Mount Washington in the night sky as seen from the Dee Wright Observatory at McKenzie Pass on July 14, 2020.



A body of water with a mountain in the night sky: Comet Neowise seen over Crater Lake in Crater Lake National Park in Oregon on July 16, 2020.


© Robin Loznak / ZUMA Wire
Comet Neowise seen over Crater Lake in Crater Lake National Park, Oregon on July 16, 2020.

The comet passed just inside Mercury’s orbit on July 3, where the intense heat of the sun caused the eruption of gas and dust and created the large visible tail of debris, according to NASA.



a castle with a mountain in the background: the comet NEOWISE shines above the church of Santa Maria della Pieta in Rocca Calascio, L'Aquila, Italy, on July 11, 2020.


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Comet NEOWISE shines above the church of Santa Maria della Pieta in Rocca Calascio, L’Aquila, Italy, on July 11, 2020.

The comet was discovered by NASA’s Near-Earth Near-Field Infrared Explorer (NEOWISE) on March 27, 2020, and became visible to observers on Earth earlier this week.



A canyon with a view of a large body of water: Comet NEOWISE soars into the horizon of the early morning sky in this view from the viewpoint near the Great Colorado National Monument west of Grand Junction, Colorado, July 9, 2020.


© Conrad Earnest / AP Photo
Comet NEOWISE soars over the horizon in the early morning sky in this view from the viewpoint near the Colorado National Monument west of Grand Junction, Colorado, on July 9, 2020.

Comet NEOWISE will be closer to Earth on July 22, and can be seen more easily in the northern hemisphere before sunrise in the northeast sky or just after sunset in the northwest, according to NASA.



a clock tower in the night sky: Comet Neowise passes behind the St Mary's Lighthouse in Whitley Bay, UK, in the early hours of July 13, 2020.


© Owen Humphreys / PA Wire via ZUMA Press
Comet Neowise passes behind the St Mary’s Lighthouse in Whitley Bay, UK, in the early hours of July 13, 2020.

Although the comet’s nucleus can be seen with the naked eye, the tail is more easily seen with binoculars. After it disappears from view in August, the comet will not return to Earth’s skies for another 6,800 years.



In this image released by NASA, Comet Neowise, on the left, is seen on the eastern horizon above Earth in this image taken from the International Space Station on Sunday, July 5, 2020.


© NASA via AP
In this image released by NASA, Comet Neowise, on the left, is seen on the eastern horizon above Earth in this image taken from the International Space Station on Sunday, July 5, 2020.



A view of a city at sunset: Comet Neowise is seen above the city of Harbin, Heilongjiang Province, China, July 9, 2020.


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Comet Neowise is seen in Harbin City, Heilongjiang Province, China on July 9, 2020.



a sunset over a body of water: the comet NEOWISE is seen at sunset over the port of Molfetta in Molfetta, Italy, on July 11, 2020.


© Davide Pischettola / NurPhoto via Getty Images
Comet NEOWISE is seen at sunset over the port of Molfetta in Molfetta, Italy, on July 11, 2020.



A sunset over a city at night: Comet Neowise is seen next to the Memorial Chapel at the Haunsberg in Salzburg, Austria, on July 13, 2020.


© Barbara Gindl / APA Picturedesk via ZUMA Press
Comet Neowise is seen next to the Memorial Chapel at the Haunsberg in Salzburg, Austria, on July 13, 2020.



A castle on top of a building: Comet NEOWISE is seen above the ruins of the Cook Bank Building on July 20, 2020 in the ghost town of Riolita, Nevada.


© Ethan Miller / Getty Images
Comet NEOWISE is seen above the ruins of the Cook Bank building on July 20, 2020 in the ghost town of Riolita, Nevada.



A body of water with a city in the night sky: Comet NEOWISE is seen in the night sky over Mindelheim, Germany, on July 13, 2020.


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Comet NEOWISE is seen in the night sky over Mindelheim, Germany, on July 13, 2020.



A sunset over Stonehenge: Comet NEOWISE is seen passing over Stonehenge on July 12, 2020.


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Comet NEOWISE is seen passing Stonehenge on July 12, 2020.



A sunset view of a city: Comet NEOWISE is seen over Broadway Tower, Worcestershire, in the early morning hours of July 11, 2020.


© Jan Knurek / Bav Media / REX
Comet NEOWISE is seen over Broadway Tower, Worcestershire in the early morning hours of July 11, 2020.



A tree in a dark sky: Comet NEOWISE is seen on July 19, 2020 in Joshua Tree, California.


© Rich Fury / Getty Images
Comet NEOWISE is seen on July 19, 2020 in Joshua Tree, California.

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