Published 14:44 IST, July 8th 2020
Comet NEOWISE visibility: Here is when to view the comet and other details
Comet Neowise is the third comet discovered in 2020. Read on to know about comet NEOWISE visibility and how to see NEOWISE. Read on for more details.
- Science News
- 3 min read
The NEOWISE comet has been fascinating the sky watchers for quite some time now. The comet was first discovered on March 27th, 2020 using a NEOWISE (Near-Earth Object Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer) space telescope.
According to a media portal, there are two time frames to spot NEOWISE. One at the beginning and the other is at the end of nautical twilight. For the visibility of the comet, the position of the sun on the horizon shall play an important role.
Comet NEOWISE visibility: Dates
By around Jul 11, the comet will reach an altitude of nearly 10 degrees. Over the next 10 days, it will slide back down towards the north-east horizon gradually. Eventually, the comet will disappear from dawn visibility.
On July 12, a better viewing perspective will become available. During the evening sky, the comet will appear low in the northwest sky. The following evenings, the comet will rapidly climb higher in the sky.
NEOWISE will be the closest the Earth on July 22nd. It will be visible to skywatchers from the closest distance as the NEOWISE comet will be at about 64 million miles (103 million KM) away from the earth. It will give a fascinating view to skywatchers.
Another date that NEOWISE comet will reportedly be visible to the skywatchers is July 25th. The comet shall appear 30 degrees up from the west-northwest horizon as the sun sets. The NEOWISE comet will be visible again for spotting in the sky on the 30-31st of July. According to a media portal, the comet will be passing just to the north of the fine star cluster of Coma Berenices or Berenice's Hair.
How to see NEOWISE comet
According to a media portal, the comet will grow faint in the following days. However, it will be farther away from the sun, so it will be visible in against a darker sky. Around the beginning of August, the comet will be very well placed for skywatchers and observers with small telescopes.
Reportedly, even amateur observers will be able to get favourable conditions to see the comet. However, the visibility of such bright comets is subject to other factors as well. Factors including clouds, haze, pollution, city lights or even moonlight can affect its visibility. Binoculars or telescopes shall enhance the view.
Some Images ed by Jereme Perez of the C/2020 F3 Comet NEOWISE
Image Credits: Intl. Space Station Twitter
Updated 14:44 IST, July 8th 2020