The Neowise comet will be visible to the naked eye during the month of July. A must watch for all stargazers.
Comet Neowise - Picture Credit: Peter Komka / MTI AP
For the past several mornings, some intrepid observers and photographers have been getting up before sunrise to find and photograph a comet that has become one of the largest items in the sky. For now, Comet Neowise is difficult to see as it is hidden in a haze of dim light, as it comes up just ahead of the sun in the northeastern sky.
The recently discovered Neowise comet, has caught the attention of stargazers in India as they are able to get a glimpse of the celestial event from July 14 onwards. The comet is said to be visible to the naked eye for 20 minutes everyday for 20 days.
The comet was visible an hour before dawn on 14 July. This will be continuing till mid-July. Although the comet will be visible in the evening during this month before it starts to fade away in August. To see the comet one will have to use either a telescope or binoculars before disappearing next month as it enters the outer orbit of our solar system.
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This was also stated by the deputy director of Pathani Samanta Planetarium in Odisha’s Bhubaneshwar. “From July 14, C/2020 F3 will be clearly visible in the north-western sky. It will be visible after sunset for around 20 minutes for the next 20 days. People can observe it with naked eyes,”
In the evenings, to follow the comet will rapidly climb higher in the sky and will be visible for a longer period. Around 30th July the comet will be visible near Ursa Major (Saptarshi Mandal) at an altitude of 40 degrees and will be visible for an hour.
The comet was discovered by NASA’s Neowise mission back in March this year and the comet will make its closest approach to Earth on July 22 – at a distance of about 103 million kilometres from Earth. The comet is already headed back toward the outer solar system.
Vice recommends people find a place away from city lights and with a clear view of the horizon to the northwest to try to find Comet Neowise this week.
