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

Comet Neowise which is officially known as C/2020 F3 is giving stargazers across the world, a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, which is, being able to witness a comet passing with naked eyes. As per the International Dark-Sky Association, Comet Neowise will be passing close to Earth again only after another 6,800 years. The last time astronomy lovers all over the world were able to witness a comet with the naked eye was in 1997 when Comet Hale-Bopp passed close to Earth.

The Great Comet was visible for a year and a half. Although Comet Neowise won’t be putting on that great a show, it’s passing is still no less than a spectacle. Read on to know, Neowise July 17 location.

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Neowise July 17 Location: Where is Neowise Comet now?

Comet Neowise was named after the NASA mission that discovered it, which is the Near-Earth Object Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (NEOWISE). According to the reports of a space portal, between July 14 and July 20, Neowise will be a little easier to see in the Northwest sky every night. NASA reports suggest that between July 22-23 the comet will come closest to Earth and it will only be 64 million miles or 103 million kilometres from the planet as it crosses the planet’s orbit. According to the reports of a space portal, Comet Neowise's July 17 location will be just below the Big Dipper in the Northwest sky. Astronomy lovers who plan to get to go Comet Hunting must know that the best time to spot it will be just after sunset.

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Neowise July 17 Location: Where is The Big Dipper?

NASA has claimed that to the naked eye, NEOWISE might look like a fuzzy star with a bit of a tail, so using binoculars or a small telescope can be helpful. Moreover one can increase their chances of spotting Neowise Comet if they know where to look for the Big Dipper, as the comet will be just under it. Moreover, adding to a stargazers awe is the fact that finding the Big Dipper in the night sky can help one to find Polaris which is the North Star. 

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The Big Dipper is a ladle-shaped star pattern and it is a part of the Ursa Major constellation which is also known as the Big Bear. Often times the Big Dipper gets confused for the constellation Ursa Major itself. However, the Big Dipper is not itself a constellation, but it is certainly the most visible part of Ursa Major.

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The Big Dipper 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. One can find the Big Dipper in different parts of the sky at different points of time in the year. During spring and summertime one can spot the Big and Little Dippers are higher overhead, while in autumn and winter, the Big Dipper is closer to the horizon. One can remember this by memorising a simple rule, the rule is, spring up and fall down.