**Comet NEOWISE continues to dazzle in the evening sky and is "climbing" higher each night for easier viewing**

Comet NEOWISE will climb in the nighttime sky to a position near the Big Dipper (aka Ursa Major). by later next week. [Evening sky map positioning of Comet NEOWISE from July 14-July 23 courtesy Sky & Telescope]

Overview

First, there was Comet ATLAS in April which disappointed sky watchers as it broke apart into pieces.  Then there was Comet SWAN in May which also disintegrated.  And now we have a third comet named NEOWISE and this one is coming through and could be visible until mid-August.  In recent days, this comet has dazzled sky watchers and may be the brightest comet since 1997 (Hale-Bopp). The comet will be easier to see in coming days as it climbs in the evening sky towards the Big Dipper (aka Ursa Major).

Sky map for this evening, Thursday, July 16th, with Comet NEOWISE now visible in the evening sky. Helpful hint…use the compass on your mobile phone to find ~315 degrees (i.e., NW) and look in that direction near the horizon. Map courtesy spaceweather.com

Details

Comet NEOWISE is named for the NASA spacecraft mission (Near-Earth Object Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer) that discovered it back in late March.  Comet NEOWISE which is officially named C/2020 F3 has been surprisingly bright in recent days and the apparent reason is its rather large nucleus. According to spaceweather.com, researchers working with NASA’s NEOWISE spacecraft have analyzed infrared emissions from the comet’s core and have found the nucleus to be ~5 km in diameter which is rather large for a comet approaching this close to the sun. On July 3rd, Comet NEOWISE made its closest pass to the sun at a distance of around 27 million miles and its large nucleus helped it survive the onslaught of heat and also provided the materials for its visible tail. Its closest approach to Earth will come on Thursday, July 23rd and it won’t back for nearly 7000 years.

Comet NEOWISE as seen from the Tidal Basin in Washington, D.C. early Friday morning, July 10th. Up until now, the comet has been a morning object only for viewing in the Northern Hemisphere, but it will actually be visible this week in both the morning and evening sky. Photo courtesy Washington Post - Capital Weather Gang (Twitter)

Last week, Comet NEOWISE was visible only in the early morning skies, but it ducked below the horizon this past weekend, and emerged in the night sky earlier in the week, In fact, the comet has been visible at both ends of the day for the past several days. Comet NEOWISE is actually becoming easier to spot in the evening sky as it climbs higher each night and will be visible near the Big Dipper by later next week. For evening viewing, look to the northwest sky an hour or two after sunset, find the Big Dipper, and drop your view towards the horizon. The comet should be visible with the naked eye depending on the lighting and atmospheric conditions, but it certainly would be easier with binoculars or a telescope. 

Sky map for July 24th shows a much more accommadating position of Comet NEOWISE (i.e., higher in the sky) as it climbs to just under the Big Dipper (aka Ursa Major). Map courtesy heavens-above.com

As with many comets, the icy nucleus is fragile and prone to breaking apart as it pulls away from the sun so take the next opportunity to view.  Even if it does break up, it has already put on a better show than comets ATLAS and SWAN.

Meteorologist Paul Dorian
Perspecta, Inc.
perspectaweather.com

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Video discussion (from 7/14):