There’s still a little time to catch a glimpse of a newly discovered comet shining through the night sky, especially if you have binoculars or a telescope on hand.
C / 2020 F3 NEOWISE, also called Comet NEOWISE, was first seen in late March this year by NASA’s Near-Earth Near-Field Infrared Reconnaissance Explorer (NEOWISE) mission. According to NASA, the comet’s nucleus is approximately 3 miles in diameter and is made up of dust, rock, and frozen gases that were left behind from the birth of our solar system some 4.6 billion years ago.
When comets get closer to our sun, the increased heat creates a coma or a kind of atmosphere made up of particles and gases that surround the nucleus. A combination of solar wind and the pressure of sunlight can cause part of that atmosphere to move away from the comet, forming two tails, one made of ions and the other made of dust, which can extend in the opposite direction of the sun by millions of miles. . The images suggest Comet NEOWISE could potentially have two ion tails, as well as its dust tail.
Graphic courtesy of NASASpacePlace via Wikimedia Commons.
Joseph Masiero, who serves as NEOWISE’s deputy principal investigator at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, said detecting Comet NEOWISE was “challenging”, particularly given how rare it is for comets that are visible to the naked eye to pass. for our planet.
“I’m pretty sure that all astronomers studying the sky have a secret hope of finding the next comet with the naked eye, so I feel like our team won the lottery with this,” Masiero said. “These kinds of heavenly events really help remind me how great and wonderful the universe is, and how lucky I am to be able to explore it in these difficult times.”
Comet NEOWISE made its closest approach to Earth on July 22 and has become increasingly dimmer as it heads toward the far reaches of our solar system. But if you want to try your luck in the coming days, find a patch of sky with a minimal amount of light pollution where your view is not obstructed by trees or buildings.
This graph marks the path of Comet NEOWISE in the coming nights from the perspective of someone looking at the stars in the Northern Hemisphere. Megan McGrew / PBS NewsHour
Then look to the northwest of the sky below and slightly west of the Big Dipper – the comet will rise higher above the horizon as the nights go by. You can also use the Comet NEOWISE app to help you determine exactly where to search for the comet from your location.
If you haven’t taken a look at Neowise, the brightest comet that has graced the northern hemisphere in decades, this is one of your last chances. You can see it after sunset, under the Big Dipper. https://t.co/zpSFRKaeaM
But you probably won’t get as good a view as the ISS
🎥: NASA pic.twitter.com/Be6HooyKlo– WIRED (@WIRED) July 23, 2020
Although you may still be able to see the NEOWISE comet with the naked eye, a pair of binoculars or a telescope should give you a clearer view. The EarthSky publication also recommends using a high-quality camera that can capture the comet with long exposure.
If you miss the show this time, you’ll just have to wait another 6,800 years or so for Comet NEOWISE to return to Earth.
Comet NEOWISE, also known as ‘C / 2020 F3’, is seen on July 18, 2020 in Joshua Tree, California. Photo by Daniel Knighton / Getty Images
