Comet NEOWISE could surprise you in July 2020, Know details why

NEOWISE comet has been an intriguing site for several wanderers of sky. It was first discovered on March 27, 2020, using a NEOWISE (Near-Earth Object Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer) telescope. After its discovery, it was listed as C/2020 F3 which was located 312 million kilometres (194 million miles) from sun. 

At a very faint magnitude of +17, it is considered to be 25,000 times fainter than faintest star that can be glimpsed with naked eye. One can only see this comet using large telescopes. However, July marks change in expectations of many astromers as Comet C/2020 F3 NEOWISE might become a glowing object for skywatchers. This is  first time in this year that a comet has raised such hopes after two previous comets, ATLAS and SWAN, fizzled out earlier this year. 

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Comet NEOWISE survives its closest approach to Sun

Comet C/2020 F3 NEOWISE has bravely survived its perihelion (closest orbit to  Sun) efficiently. This is reportedly for first time in 2020 because C/2020 F3's predecessor comets ATLAS and SWAN could t. According to several reports, Comet NEOWISE completed its approach to sun in a perfectly circular and well-condensed coma. Many astromers compared this to faint, wispy, almost ghostly coma displayed by Comet ATLAS and "hammerhe" looking coma of Comet SWAN and this is reported reason why both of those objects fed away before eir of m could reach vicinity of sun.

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After Comet C/2020 F3 NEOWISE's survival on its perihelion orbit on Friday i.e. July 3, Michael Mattiazzo, a veteran Australian comet watcher, h confidently stated that NEOWISE would remain intact, giving at least a 70% chance that it would survive its close brush with sun. Surprisingly, C/2020 F3 did survive from distance of 27.3 million miles (44 million km) from sun on July 3, when it was subjected to temperatures of up to 1,100 degrees Fahrenheit (593 degrees Celsus). It is reportedly said that many observers were able to spot comet with a naked-eye view without any telescope.

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From June 22 through June 27, comet was within range of  Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO). SOHO is a cooperative mission between European ncy (ESA) and NASA. craft is stationed in a halo orbit around sun-Earth L1 Lagrangian point, a position roughly 930,000 miles (1.5 million km) sunward of Earth. At this point in , orbital period of SOHO exactly matches orbital period of Earth. From this orbit, SOHO is able to observe sun 24 hours a day.

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Using its LASCO-3 (Large Angle and Spectrometric Coronagraph), Comet NEOWISE could be monitored as it passed near to sun. LASCO-3 is said to be able to create an artificial solar eclipse. During this time, comet appeared to significantly brighten, with comet expert Charles Morris estimating a magnitude of +1.7 just before it passed out of field of LASCO-3 camera. Comet C/2020 F3 NEOWISE also appeared to have developed a rar bright, albeit short and stubby forked-shaped dust tail. 

Some Ims ed by Jereme Perez of  C/2020 F3 Comet NEOWISE

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