Astronauts saw an impressive daylight show this weekend from a Kite that has also dazzled sky watchers on Earth.
That ray, called NEOWISE kite o C / 2020 F3, first appeared in late March. At the time, the icy lump was quite weak in our skies, and astronomers weren’t sure that would change. But as time passed, the comet lit up immensely, tempting sky watchers even after they were disappointed by two other recent faded comets.
“Fireworks last night, really. Because science,” NASA astronaut Bob Behnken said in a tweet published since International Space Station Sunday (July 5), the day after Americans celebrated July 4 with fireworks.
Related: Comet NEOWISE could give sky watchers a dazzling show this month. This is what you should know.
One of Behnken’s colleagues aboard the orbiting laboratory, Russian cosmonaut Ivan Vagner, also photographed the comet, with its tail in absolute brilliance against the blackness of space seen above Earth’s brilliant blue atmosphere.
Vagner particularly commented on Comet NEOWISE’s impressive tail, the distinctive feature of comets compared to their rockier counterparts, asteroids. The tail of a comet is formed by radiation from the sun that pushes dust out of the fuzzy bubble that surrounds the comet when its ice heats up and turns into gas.
Last night’s fireworks, really. Because science #NEOWISE #comet pic.twitter.com/IKcJ1wLFAlJuly 5, 2020
At this time, the NEOWISE comet requires a good pair of binoculars to see in most places, and sky watchers are still unsure whether the chunk of ice will become so incredibly bright that its tail will be easily visible to the naked eye. But the comet should dazzle throughout the month of July around its closest approach to Earth, which occurs on July 22.
Both Vagner and Behnken will remain in orbit long enough to observe that approach from space. Behnken, who came aboard the first manned SpaceX Crew Dragon On May 31, he is scheduled to return to Earth with his NASA colleague Doug Hurley in early August. Vagner and two other astronauts will remain in orbit until October.
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