Neowise July 18 Location: How to find Neowise tonight? Know its position in the Sky

The bright Comet Neowise is lighting up the night skies on earth and putting on a great spectacle for skywatchers all across the world. Reports from the International Dark-Sky Association claim that Comet Neowise will be passing close to Earth again only after another 6,800 years.

Hence, skywatchers have this rare opportunity of viewing the comet with naked eyes till it completely disappears in early August. Read on to know, “How To Find Neowise tonight?”

Read | NASA shares skywatching tips on how to photograph Comet NEOWISE

Neowise July 18 Location: How to find NEOWISE tonight?

NEOWISE was named after the NASA mission which discovered the bright comet, Near-Earth Object Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (NEOWISE). According to the reports of several space portals, between July 14 and July 20, Neowise will be a bit easier to spot in the Northwest sky every night. 

As per apod.nasa.gov, if a skywatcher is able to spot the Big Dipper in the night sky on July 18, they will easily be able to witness Comet Neowise. Astronomy lovers who plan to get to go, Comet Hunting, tonight need to know that the best time to spot it will be just after sunset.

Source: apod.nasa.gov 

Read | Neowise July 17 Location: Where is Neowise Comet now? Know where to look for the comet

NASA’s official website also claims that at sunset tonight, to the naked eye, Comet NEOWISE might look like a fuzzy star with a bit of a tail. While it will be visible from the naked eye as well, as Neowise is a bright comet, using binoculars or even a small telescope can help the astronomy lovers to clearly witness this celestial spectacle. Moreover, a stargazer can increase his or her chances of spotting Neowise Comet if they know where to look for the Big Dipper, as the comet will be just under it.

Read | How long is Neowise visible each night? Here is all about the comet's visibility

Comet NEOWISE time and location

According to the reports of a media portal, Comet Neowise will be visible 45 to 60 minutes before sunrise towards Northeast of the sky. NASA reports suggest that between July 22-23 the comet will come closest to Earth. It will only be 64 million miles or 103 million kilometres from the planet as it will be seen crossing the planet’s orbit. 

Read | How fast is Neowise Comet travelling? Here's the jaw dropping speed of the ginormous comet

Neowise July 18 Location: Where is The Big Dipper?

Knowing the location of the Big Dipper will also help a stargazer to find Polaris which is the North Star in the night sky. Many times the Big Dipper gets confused for being the constellation Ursa Major itself. But it is important to know that the Big Dipper is the most visible part of the Ursa Major constellation. It is not the constellation itself.

One can find the Big Dipper in different parts of the sky at different times of the year. During spring and summers Big and Little Dippers are located higher overhead. During autumn and winter, the Big Dipper is closer to the horizon. One simple rule to remember the location of the Big Dipper is to memorise a simple rule, the rule is, spring up and fall down. One will also be able to spot the star if they know what it looks like. The Big Dipper is a ladle-shaped star pattern and it is located in the region of the sky that holds many other famous deep objects, including the galaxy Messier 51, which is located under the Big Dipper’s handle.