At the end of March, A team of astronomers working on a space telescope mission called Neowise discovered a comet that reserved it beyond the sun, 160 million miles from Earth. The comet, officially known as C / 2020 F3 but generally known as Neowise, is a 3-mile-long chunk of ice and dust on a 6,000-year loop around the solar system. It’s just one of thousands of space rocks discovered with the Neowise Telescope, but its trajectory means that for a few weeks this summer it will give observers from the northern hemisphere a rare cosmic light show.
“This is the most impressive-looking comet I have seen since the 1990s with Hale-Bopp,” says George Hripcsak, an amateur astronomer in New York City. Hale-Bopp is a comet in a 2,500-year orbit around the sun that made its closest passage to Earth in 1997. It was visible to the naked eye for a year and a half, and famously inspired the mass suicide of the Gate cult. from the sky . (Although Comet Neowise is not as bright as Hale-Bopp was, it does not appear to have caused any human sacrifice either.)
The best time to catch a glimpse of Neowise was in early July, just after approaching the sun and reaching maximum brightness. The comet has become noticeably dimmer in recent days as it drifts away from the sun, but if you haven’t had a chance to take a look at it yet, it’s not too late. Neowise makes its closest approach to Earth on Thursday, and if you live in the northern hemisphere you’ll still be able to see it with the naked eye for a few more days. We ask amateur astronomers for their best advice on how to spot comets.
What to look for
Like all comets, Neowise consists of a dense core made of ice, dust, and ionized gas that form a bright double tail when they leave the comet. Neowise’s tail is huge; It covers as much sky as if you were going to place 12 full moons next to each other. “Seeing such a long tail doesn’t happen very often,” says Hripcsak.
When to see the Neowise comet
If you want to see the comet, the best time to stargaze is about an hour after sunset. Depending on where you live, this will be around 10 pm The comet will be visible for about an hour before falling below the horizon. “It should be dark enough that you can choose the entire Big Dipper, not just the handle,” says Katherine Troche, an amateur astronomer from New York City. “If you can get away from the streetlights, your visibility will improve, but you may still need binoculars as the comet will become less bright in the coming weeks.”
How to spot the comet
The Neowise Comet is visible from anywhere in the Northern Hemisphere. But the night sky is a fairly large space to search, so amateur and professional astronomers have created a number of apps to help you find celestial objects, including the comet, based on their location. If you want to stargaze like the pros, there is SkySafari 6 for iOS and Android phones, but it will cost you $ 20. Free apps include Celestron’s SkyPortal.
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