NEOWISE, brightest comet in decades visible through July

[hbarcat]

The newly discovered comet, "Neowise", will be easily visible to the naked eye through most of July.

For the past week, the comet was rising in the morning, just before dawn, but has become more difficult to see every day as it dropped lower into sunrise.

Fortunately, after July 11th, the comet will reappear in the evening after sunset, offering excellent opportunities for observation. The best views will be from dark skies away from city lights.

More details here:

Invalid Link Removed

How to see Comet NEOWISE in the night sky this month | Space

 

[hbarcat]

Pic:

 

[Downunderwonder]

Can't find any viewing info for Downunder.

 

[hbarcat]

Can't find any viewing info for Downunder.

Bad news for those in the southern hemisphere - the comet is currently located in the far northern sky and won't be visible down under until well into August, after it has faded in brightness to needing a telescope to see it.

 

[Downunderwonder]

Dang. I got to see Halley's way back and would have been great to see another before shuffling off.

 

[MJ5150]

Great thread!
We're hoping for some clear weather the next few days so we can check it out.
Next weekend we should be able to time it so we see the comet and the ISS around the same time.

-Mike

 

[bholder]

Aggghhhhh! it's a sign!!! We're Doomed!! hehe hehe

 

[hbarcat]

Aggghhhhh! it's a sign!!! We're Doomed!! hehe hehe

I can't wait for the religious loonies to throw this comet apparition into their doomsday hopper and start babbling about the world being in the "end times" and trying to predict the exact date of judgement day.

That should be a lot of fun.

 

[hbarcat]

Dang. I got to see Halley's way back and would have been great to see another before shuffling off.

If I remember correctly, Comet Hale-Bopp from 1997 was also at its brightest when located in the northern sky so those in the southern hemisphere weren't able to see it until after it had faded out.

 

[Winslow]

Sky & Telescope has a good chart for the upcoming week & change:

Invalid Link Removed

 

[Downunderwonder]

If I remember correctly, Comet Hale-Bopp from 1997 was also at its brightest when located in the northern sky so those in the southern hemisphere weren't able to see it until after it had faded out.

More like 1987. It wasn't the lightshow it was cracked up to be but it was 'comety'.

 

[Pete Hand]

The Comet Halley (it's pronounced as in "Valley") was in 1986. This is the one that came by when Mark Twain was born and when he died.

We have a radar installation above a ski resort where you had to go to see it, because we are so far North and that put the comet low, near the horizon. My now-wife then went to Australia with a group from the University of Arizona in Tucson (where they make space telescope mirrors in the lab that is below the football stadium). She said they toured a few observatories there and got to see some imagery of Halley before it was released to the public.

Comet Shoemaker-Levy9 was 1992. It broke apart and then collided with Jupiter in 1994, so it won't be back.

Comet Hale-Bopp was 1997; we viewed it from the deck of our home under construction at the time.

Neowise is putting on a great show in the US Pacific NW; we are viewing it from that same deck that just got rebuilt after 23 years of use. This one will be back in 6,800 years.

 

[hbarcat]

Picture of comet Neowise, taken from the International Space Station:

 

[RayWithFlats]

Comet Neowise over Stonehenge (time to get out the Spinal Tap album!)

Not my photo, just grabbed off a website but still pretty amazing.

 

[fdeck]

We were particularly lucky to see the comet last night from the park across from our house. I went out on a whim, got all excited by this bright orange tail, and called my neighbor who has an astronomy degree. He calmed me down -- it was just a contrail. But we both waited outside with binoculars until the comet became visible, and then eventually it was visible by eye. But there's a lot of light pollution in the middle of a city. Still, it's the first time I've ever seen a comet, and there are plenty more nights to try for a better glimpse of it.

 

[nutdog]

I'll look tonight. Saw Halleys in 86. Expected something spectacular streaking across the sky but instead saw a small, stationary Q-tip just above the horizon.

 

[Downunderwonder]

Comet Neowise over Stonehenge (time to get out the Spinal Tap album!)

View attachment 3904967

Not my photo, just grabbed off a website but still pretty amazing.

is it like that to the eye or photoshop composition or someone photographing with telescope a mile away from Stonehenge?

 

[Pete Hand]

I've been looking at photos on the web, and they are all pretty much true to life. The earlier photos from last week are sunrise, and there isn't that much ambient light to the naked eye. The cameras gather a lot of light. The tail direction is relative to the sun, not the direction of travel. We'll be on the deck in about an hour; just waiting for twilight to go away. This far North, there's still twilight at 11pm.

 

[JimK]

Picture of comet Neowise, taken from the International Space Station:

View attachment 3904388

Cool as f•••!

 

[JimK]

I'll look tonight. Saw Halleys in 86. Expected something spectacular streaking across the sky but instead saw a small, stationary Q-tip just above the horizon.

According to the Astronomy nerd at work-
Comet West was 'the one' to see.
Comet West - Wikipedia

I missed Halley's...I recall seeing Hale-Bopp. IIRC, it was approaching Earth & it appeared as a star with a very, very short tail trailing behind.

 

[RayWithFlats]

is it like that to the eye or photoshop composition or someone photographing with telescope a mile away from Stonehenge?

Definitely PS, but I'm not sure if it's a composite or a standard photo with a ton of filters. Either way, you'd buy the album with that cover, right?