LANSING – Lansing, we have a visitor. And it is out of this world.
Comet NEOWISE, named after the NASA spacecraft Discovered on March 27, it is the most visible comet since Hale-Bopp in the mid-1990s.
It will be bright enough to see without binoculars or a telescope in mid-Michigan for the next few days, mainly at dusk and dawn. Once it disappears, it won’t work again in about 7,000 years.
“Bright comets are a little unpredictable,” said President of the Capital Area Astronomy Association, Michael Rogers. “That’s why people are so excited, because it’s been a while since we had a comet that you could see with the naked eye.”
Comets are made from frozen chunks of ice, dust and particles that heat up as they get closer to the sun, causing them to emit gases and create a beautiful, shiny tail, said Elias Aydi, an associate researcher in the astronomy department of the Michigan State University.
Aydi and Rogers provided some advice for Lansing residents interested in seeing the comet.
How to See Comet NEOWISE Near Lansing
Step one: get out of town
Light pollution from lampposts, cars, buildings, and factories makes stargazing difficult. To get a good view of Comet NEOWISE, try driving from the cities of Lansing and East Lansing.
The comet is low on the horizon, so trees and buildings can block it from view. The best places to see it are beaches, lakes, open fields, and high elevation points, Aydi said.
Lansing isn’t exactly known for its beaches or elevation, which is why Rogers suggested driving to agricultural areas like St. Johns for an unobstructed view.
“If you can, find a safe place where you can get out of the way and look,” he said. “Or, if you can, find a friendly rural family that allows you to park in their farm field and look at the sky. That’s probably your best perspective because you really have to get away from the city lights.”
He suggested trying Sleepy Hollow State Park in Laingsburg and Fox Park Observatory in Potterville.
The Fox Park Observatory will be open Friday and Saturday from dusk to midnight to see NEOWISE, said lead volunteer Jason Blaschka.
The recommended donations are $ 2 per person and $ 5 per family. The observatory is outdoors with space for safe social distancing during the coronavirus pandemic. Volunteers will have hand sanitizer and masks available.
Step two: Go at dusk or dawn, and soon
Once you decide where to go, the next question is when.
“The best time to observe the comet is during dusk or dawn,” said Aydi. “After sunset at night, if you look northwest you will see the comet. Before sunrise, in the morning, if you look northeast you will see the comet.”
The comet is most visible this weekend and will begin to fade on Thursday, Aydi said.
NASA scientists expect NEOWISE to be closer to Earth, about 64 million miles away, on July 22.
Step three: find it with binoculars, the Big Dipper or an app
Rogers said it is helpful to start with binoculars. NEOWISE is easier to detect with the naked eye once you know where it is.
“I think it is very useful [to have binoculars] because it’s so low on the horizon, “said Rogers.” If you extend your arms outward and clench your fist, you’re one or two widths of a fist above the horizon. “
If you don’t have binoculars, try looking for the Big Dipper, Aydi said. The comet will be just below it.
And if you can’t find the big dipper, try downloading a cell phone app that can help you navigate the night sky.
“You just point your phone at the sky and on your screen you see what constellations are in the direction you’re looking,” he said.
Why local astronomers say you should go see NEOWISE
Looking at the night sky is “transcendent,” Rogers said.
“It takes you away from the things that are bothering you on planet Earth and focuses your attention on how vast the universe is, how vast and mysterious,” he said. “The main reason for entering [astronomy] is that it takes you away from your daily worries and worries and makes you focus on the whole universe and the infinity of time and space “.
Blaschka, who has taken his family to see the comet, said it is “amazing”.
“Every time someone finds it, you can hear a ‘wow,'” he said.
Contact Carol Thompson at [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter @thompsoncarolk.
