Posted on 07/20/2020 5:21:11 AM PDT by Red Badger
Comet C/2020 F3 (NEOWISE) is becoming increasingly tough before sunup. It’s magnificent now, through binoculars, in the northwest each evening. Easiest to see from northerly latitudes. Coming into view from further south. Not visible from the Southern Hemisphere. Charts and more info here.
Location of Comet NEOWISE from July 20 to 26. Face northwest, just after sunset. Avoid trees or buildings to have a clear view of the northwest horizon. Sweep with your binoculars around the location for the comet marked on this chart. Some might barely see the comet with the unaided eye. So far, evening views have been available mostly to observers at latitudes like those in the northern U.S. We are beginning to receive photos and reports of comet sightings from observers in the southern U.S. Observers at lower latitudes will see Comet NEOWISE lower in the sky. This comet is not visible from the Southern Hemisphere. Illustration by Eddie Irizarry using Stellarium.
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We still have to wait for another very bright comet, what astronomers call a great comet. But a wonderful binocular comet graced our early morning skies beginning in early July, and now it’s visible in the evening as well, for observers at northerly latitudes. We’re also beginning to receive photos and reports from evening observers at latitudes like those further south in the U.S. Sorry, Southern Hemisphere observers, this comet isn’t visible to you. Many observers have reported that – once you spot it with binoculars – you can remove them and glimpse this comet as a fuzzy object, using only the unaided eye. Using binoculars or other optical aid is a must, though, if you want to see this comet’s splendid split tail. The comet is called C/2020 F3 (NEOWISE). It is gradually appearing higher each night, just below the Big Dipper, as seen in the evening chart, above.
Check the bottom of this post for a few photos, but – for many, many glorious shots of the comet from people throughout the Northern Hemisphere – visit EarthSky Community Photos. Thank you to all who have submitted photos!
Submit your own photo of Comet NEOWISE here:
http://earthsky.org/image-submissions
View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Comet NEOWISE over southern California. Alejandro Figarella caught this image of Comet NEOWISE on the evening of July 19, along the Templin Highway, Los Angeles, California. Thank you, Alejandro! Have you seen the comet from a latitude of 30 degrees N., or further south? If so, drop us a note, or submit your photo to EarthSky Community Photos.
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Be sure to bring along binoculars if you want to see Comet NEOWISE, although some observers might see it with the eye alone. If you don’t have binocs but do have a good camera, a great alternative is to capture a few-seconds-long exposure image of the approximate area of the sky. Try at different magnification or zoom settings, and the results should reveal the comet’s nice tail.
Comet NEOWISE will be closest to Earth on July 22-23, 2020. It will pass at some 64 million miles (103 million km) from our planet. The good news is that – if the comet continues looking great – the view during the night of closest approach should be nice for many of us at temperate latitudes in the Northern Hemisphere. Although binoculars are required for the celestial visitor, it will be visible at the same time we see a beautiful crescent (not too bright) moon.
Location of Comet NEOWISE on the night of closest approach to Earth – July 23, 2020 – as seen from the central U.S., facing west-northwest just after sunset. Illustration by Eddie Irizarry using Stellarium.
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Let’s look at some more photos! And be sure to check out EarthSky Community Photos for still more. We are receiving many, many images of the comet each day. Comet and aurora against a starry medium blue sky, over a body of water.
View at EarthSky Community Photos. | This wonderful binocular comet graced our early morning skies in early July. Now Comet NEOWISE is visible in the evening for the Northern Hemisphere. It’s best seen with optical aid. James Younger captured this image of NEOWISE and an aurora (the green glow on the right in this photo) on July 14, in the evening, from Vancouver Island in British Columbia, Canada. Thank you, James!
This image is from Bob King – aka AstroBob – in Duluth, Minnesota. He wrote: “My first view of Comet NEOWISE at dusk instead of dawn from a lake near Duluth on July 11. Comets and water naturally go together as they’re thought responsible in part for delivering water to the early Earth.” Thank you, Bob!
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View at EarthSky Community Photos. | Gianluca Masi of the Virtual Telescope Project captured Comet NEOWISE on July 7, 2020, along with the International Space Station (dashed line), in this dawn view of Rome, Italy. “What a sight!” he wrote.
I was able to view the comet the past 2 nights. First I used my binoculars. I took out the telescope out last night as I was sweating like a pig and being eaten by mosquitos.
I saw it three nights ago and it was excellent -VERY easy to see with just the ‘naked eye.’ This from the 45th parallel...
Thanks for the post!
Too cloudy here.....................
Go down about 2 fist lengths. Also is about 3 fist lengths above the horizon.
Not as spectacular as the photos with their long exposures. But still pretty cool. It has been 6,000 years ago since it passed by Earth - amazing what has transpired in that time.
And then it made me wonder - what will 6,000 years hence look like?
The virus will still be around and masks will be worn.
Easily visible with naked eye and 7 x 50s three nights ago in southern Oregon.
Low haze from fires in northern CA has prevented any more viewing.
My wife and I have been watching it for a few days and it’s easy to spot. However, what I see is not nearly as dramatic as the photos here.
Ugh The nighttime viewing around Indianapolis, has been unfavorable to comet-viewing as of late. I live on the southeast side, and I have to look through the lights of downtown to view the comet. This week is forecast to be mostly overcast, as well.
Had a nice view of it on Friday night, and as a bonus watched the International Space Station fly right across the same part of the sky. Anyone who wants to know when and where they might be able to see the ISS in their neck of the woods can go to https://spotthestation.nasa.gov/ and enter their location.
I love the pic over the water in Duluth, Minnesota.
*ping*
Yep, great view from the She-Vegas area last night. I’m thinking the longer exposure times available with cameras make it “pop”. Binoculars help.
Ohh, too bad about the late evening conditions there. Here, at comet time, it is getting a bit cool, even though 100° during the day
I have been able to spot it faintly with binocs, but can't even hardly see the Big Dipper with the Naked Eye, much less the comet.
Thanks!
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