What’s Up with the July Night Sky? It’s the Comet NEOWISE
The Comet C/2020 F3, known as NEOWISE, can be observed through the night sky of July 2020 wherein as of July 7, the comet was easily seen through binoculars and even with unaided eyes.
Comet NEOWISE is an evening comet for those who live in the Northern Hemisphere. With dark skies matched with binoculars or a small telescope, it will be easy to catch a glimpse of it.
However, according to the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), since comets are notoriously unpredictable, it’s impossible to know if the Comet NEOWISE will remain so easy to spot. But, if it actually does, more people should find it easier to observe as July goes on.
Since we’re already approaching the last week of July, the question is, is there still a chance for you to witness Comet NEOWISE? Well, it’s not yet too late.
When is the best time to catch NEOWISE?
If you’re planning on going stargazing at any time soon, you might want to do it on July 22, 2020. The said date, according to NASA, is the comet’s closest approach to Earth at a distance of about 64 million miles (103 million kilometers).
When will Comet NEOWISE be visible from Baguio City
Baguio folks, are you looking forward to witnessing the Comet NEOWISE? Well, below are the following time and dates to take note of so you can witness it in the Baguio City night sky.
The prediction for the visibility Comet C/2020 F3 (NEOWISE) for Baguio City is provided by the neowise.whatsupin.space website.
The author of the website is Tony Rice, a data scientist in the Research Triangle Park, North Carolina area and a volunteer in the NASA/JPL Solar System Ambassador program.
Predicted visibility of Comet C/2020 F3 (NEOWISE) for Baguio, Benguet, Cordillera Administrative Region, 2600, Philippines as of Afternoon of July 21, 2020
| Date | Evening (low on NW horizon) | |
|---|---|---|
| Tue Jul 21 | 7:33 PM to 9:09 PM altitude: 15.7° to 0.0° |
|
| Wed Jul 22 | 7:33 PM to 9:23 PM altitude: 18.5° to 0.0° |
|
| Thu Jul 23 | 7:33 PM to 9:35 PM altitude: 21.2° to 0.1° |
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Note however, that the visibility of the comet could extend beyond these dates, or the comet could dim further, or even break up. You can try and visit neowise.whatsupin.space in a few days for updates about the prediction.
Tips and Tricks on Viewing Comet NEOWISE
- Bring binoculars or a small telescope!
- Find a spot away from city lights
- Allow at least 10 minutes for your eyes to adapt to the darkness
- Start looking at the sky half-hour after sunset
- Look below the Big Dipper in the northwest sky
What’s so Special About Comet NEOWISE Exactly
Long exposure photo of the @Space_Station above Comet C/2020 F3 (NEOWISE) as viewed from Keys Gap, https://t.co/dXlen138C6. See full resolution: https://t.co/LVyafZweKZ
What is a comet, anyway? What do they look like up close? https://t.co/nnki5IevCJ#cometNEOWISE 💫 pic.twitter.com/ItGXvTQgzl
— NASA HQ PHOTO (@nasahqphoto) July 19, 2020
On March 27, 2020, Comet NEOWISE was discovered by NASA’s Near-Earth Object Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer or NEOWISE. Thus, the comet is called comet C/2020 F3 NEOWISE and nicknamed comet NEOWISE.
Comet C/2020 F3 (NEOWISE) takes about six thousand, eight hundred (6,800) years to make one lap around its long and stretched out orbit which means that it won’t be visiting the inner solar system again for thousands of years.
Sounds like a very long while, right? So if you’re into stargazing and such other sort of things, better not miss your chance to see it in this lifetime.
For More News and Updates
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SOURCE
NASA Science Solar System Exploration
NASA Parker Solar Probe|July 10, 2020
NASA Headquarters Photo Department Official Twitter Account
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