Comet C / 2020 F3 (NEOWISE) was discovered on March 27, 2020, about 326 miles (525 km) above Earth's surface by NEOWISE, the Near-Field Infrared Reconnaissance Explorer for Near-Earth Objects, which is a space telescope launched by NASA in 2009
Comet NEOWISE was closest to the sun on July 3, 2020, passing approximately 26.7 million miles (43 million km) from the sun, or slightly closer than the average distance from the sun to Mercury. Observers still report seeing him, so he appears to have survived the close encounter with our star.
Comet C / 2020 F3 (NEOWISE) is up at sunrise now and should remain in the sunrise sky until approximately July 11. It will then temporarily disappear below the horizon as it transitions into the sky early at night, becoming visible again in the afternoon around July 15-16.
If the comet is still relatively bright, it might be easier to see it in the second half of July at dusk, because at that point it will appear somewhat higher in the sky.
During the first days of July Comet NEOWISE is a bit difficult to catch because it does not appear against a dark sky, but very close to the northeast horizon, just as sunrise is illuminating the sky.
However, expert astrophotographers are capturing it and producing some glorious photos.
Here are some charts for earlier this week that might help you see the comet Again, it will probably look better on binoculars. If you don't have binocs but have a good camera, an excellent alternative is to capture a few seconds' exposure image of the approximate area of the sky. Try different zoom or magnification settings, and the results should reveal the kite's nice tail.
Now take a look at these charts. The first shows the planet Venus, which is the third brightest object in the sky (after the moon and the sun). If you are standing facing east, looking at Venus, look to the left of the planet to see the bright star Capella. The comet will be below Capella on the morning of July 6. Then note that it moves north (to the left, standing facing east) from Capella on the mornings of July 7 and 8.
Panoramic view showing the location of Comet C / 2020 F3 (NEOWISE) just before sunrise on Monday, July 6, 2020, as seen from the center of the US to the northeast about 45 to 60 minutes before sunrise. Venus is the very bright planet, while Capella is a bright star seen to the northeast now, at sunrise. Illustration of Eddie Irizarry using Stellarium.
A closer look. Comet NEOWISE just before sunrise on Monday July 6, 2020. Look for the bright star Capella in the northeast, then find these other stars visible below it (Menkalinan and Mahasim). You can find Comet NEOWISE under these stars, as seen here. Binoculars or long exposure photographs are recommended. Illustration of Eddie Irizarry using Stellarium.
Location of Comet C / 2020 F3 (NEOWISE) just before sunrise on Tuesday, July 7, 2020, as seen from the central US to the northeast approximately 45 to 60 minutes before sunrise. You can see here that Comet NEOWISE appears a little more to the left (north) every day. Illustration of Eddie Irizarry using Stellarium.
Comet NEOWISE just before sunrise on Wednesday, July 8, 2020, as seen from the central United States to the northeast about 45 to 60 minutes before sunrise. The comet should remain in the dawn sky until approximately July 11. For additional graphics, try TheSkyLive.com. Then Comet NEOWISE will temporarily disappear below the horizon as it transitions into the sky early at night, becoming visible again at night around July 15-16. For the afternoon charts, see below. Illustration of Eddie Irizarry using Stellarium.
In early July, reports indicated Comet NEOWISE has a visual magnitude between 1 and 2. If you know the magnitude scale, where smaller numbers indicate brighter objects, it may sound very bright! However, stars are points of light, while comet light is diffuse (extended). So for comets, a magnitude of 1 or 2 is weaker than it would be for a star of the same magnitude. The reason is that the comet's light is spread over a relatively wide area, rather than focused on a single point.
Let's see some more photos!
This image, taken on the morning of July 5, 2020, by Jeremy Perez at Sunset Crater in Arizona, shows Comet C / 2020 F3 (NEOWISE) on the same scale that you could see it with your eye alone. Try using binoculars to reveal all the beauty of this kite. Used with permission. Thanks Jeremy!
Another July 5 photo of Comet C / 2020 F3 (NEOWISE) by Jeremy Perez in Arizona. This is more of a close-up. "It was an easy object with the naked eye," wrote this experienced sky watcher, who was looking into a desert sky, "but really gratifying through binoculars." Used with permission. Thanks again, Jeremy!
Comet NEOWISE has even been seen from the International Space Station! Russian cosmonaut Ivan Vagner says the comet's tail is clearly visible from the dome of the space laboratory. Look at this incredible image:
Its tail is clearly visible from @Space_Station! #ISS #comet #NEOWISE pic.twitter.com/FnWkCummD6
- Ivan Vagner (@ ivan_mks63) July 4, 2020
Here's another great image of Philipp Salzgeber from Austria:
Image of Comet C / 2020 F3 Neowise taken with 300mm lens, f / 5.6, Nikon Z6, 0.4s, ISO 1600 from Wolfurt / Austria. The comet was clearly visible to the naked eye, it was beautiful on the 10 × 50 binoculars. #Comet #neowise pic.twitter.com/hBGeJZKtie
- Philipp Salzgeber (@astro_graph) July 5, 2020
Now check out a couple of afternoon charts for later this month. Comet NEOWISE will be closer to Earth on July 23, 2020. It will pass about 64 million miles (103 million km) from our planet. The good news is, if the comet continues to look great, the nighttime view of the closest approach should be nice. Although binoculars may be required for the heavenly visitor, it will be visible at the same time that we see a beautiful (not too bright) crescent moon.
As a reminder, around mid-July, Comet NEOWISE reappears early in the night sky. This illustration shows the location of the heavenly visitor on July 15, 2020. As seen from the center of the United States, facing the northwest just after sunset. Illustration of Eddie Irizarry using Stellarium.
Location of Comet NEOWISE on the night of the closest approach to Earth (July 23, 2020). As seen from the center of the United States, facing the west-northwest just after sunset. Illustration of Eddie Irizarry using Stellarium.
In the meantime, it's still a good idea to get up early in the morning this week and try to catch a glimpse of Comet NEOWISE while it's still relatively bright, in case it weakens later in the month.
And forget about making plans to see the next appearance of this comet in the skies of Earth. Comet NEOWISE could be visible from Earth again, but not until around 8,786!
Bottom line: Comet C / 2020 F3 (NEOWISE) is basically a binocular object, although some experienced observers with pristine skies report that they can see it only with the eye. This post has information and graphics to help you see the comet.
