Newly-Discovered Comet Neowise: Now Visible at Dawn and Dusk (cbsnews.com) 23
"A newly-discovered comet is giving skywatchers quite the show during the month of July," reports CBS News:
Astronomers discovered the comet, known as Comet C2020 F3 NEOWISE, back in March. It was named for the NASA mission that spotted it, for the Near-Earth Object Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer... But astronomers knew they found something unique when they spotted Neowise. On July 3, Neowise was closer to the sun than the orbit of Mercury, coming dangerously close to breaking apart. The sun heated up much of the comet's icy makeup, erupting in a large debris trail of gas and dust.
Measuring about 3 miles across, Neowise is considered a fairly large comet — providing skywatchers with a spectacular view from Earth. The comet, which has a bright opulent tail, has been putting on a stunning show in the early hours before sunrise in the Northern Hemisphere... But late sleepers need not worry — the comet will start appearing in the evening, just after sunset, starting Saturday.
To view it, people in the Northern Hemisphere can look to the northwestern sky, just below Ursa Major, commonly known as the Big Dipper constellation. Scientists say the comet will be visible across the Northern Hemisphere for about another month.
The comet is made up of material dating back 4.6 billion years, to the origins of our solar system, according to the article. "The event is truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience — the comet takes about 6,800 years to complete its path around the sun, according to NASA..."
"NASA says it will be one of the brightest comets this century."
Measuring about 3 miles across, Neowise is considered a fairly large comet — providing skywatchers with a spectacular view from Earth. The comet, which has a bright opulent tail, has been putting on a stunning show in the early hours before sunrise in the Northern Hemisphere... But late sleepers need not worry — the comet will start appearing in the evening, just after sunset, starting Saturday.
To view it, people in the Northern Hemisphere can look to the northwestern sky, just below Ursa Major, commonly known as the Big Dipper constellation. Scientists say the comet will be visible across the Northern Hemisphere for about another month.
The comet is made up of material dating back 4.6 billion years, to the origins of our solar system, according to the article. "The event is truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience — the comet takes about 6,800 years to complete its path around the sun, according to NASA..."
"NASA says it will be one of the brightest comets this century."
Schedule conflict (Score:2)
"The event is truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience — the comet takes about 6,800 years to complete its path around the sun, according to NASA..."
I'll catch the next one.
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When you left me [youtube.com]
all alone [medium.com]
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Thought I knew what "triggered" meant. You give it a whole new meaning.
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As far as portents go, comet showed up a few months late. Could have bothered to show up on time, like the locusts [wikipedia.org].
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You seem to be a bit overly restrictive for allegory.
But, sounds like I can pencil you in for the next orbit.
Just saw it (Score:5, Informative)
Got up at 3:40 AM, threw on some clothes, grabbed my binoculars and drove to the closest of two spots in my area I thought I might be able to see it (hills all around me plus trees and light pollution). It took a bit of searching since I wasn't sure if I was in the right area of the sky despite looking at illustrations on how to find it, but when I saw it, wow. Nice bright coma with a wispy tail. After a while my night vision kicked in and I could just make it out with the naked eye.
I kept alternating between viewing it and turning around behind me to see Mars (just next to the Moon), Saturn (further to the right and much lower) and Jupiter with three of its moons visible (a tick to the right of Saturn).
I'm going to try and see it in the evening hours to the NW later in the month.
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You missed Venus, coming up in the east, in the middle of the Hyades.
If your spot is high and the air clear enough, you might see C/2020 F3 in the evening now, to the north, just above the horizon. Ah well, that's for me, 49 north.
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No, I didn't miss Venus. That's what I used to find the comet. According to the directions, find Venus in the East (which is sitting next to Aldebaran) and look to the left. Find the star Capella then go down toward the horizon.
Venus is pretty hard to miss considering how bright it is.
Not a stitch on Comet McNaught (Score:1)
Google for images of Comet McNaught, was amazing (possibly largest comet visible from Earth in recorded history).
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Something interesting is going on now and your response is to turn your nose up and suggest doing a google search for images from 13 years ago.
You must be a lot of fun at parties. "This party isn't anything compared to Brazilian Carnival. I'm going to go home and look at pictures of that instead."
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possibly largest comet visible from Earth in recorded history
No, that would be Hale-Bopp with a nucleus with a diameter of about 100km. It was also only the brightest since 1965. Impressive it might have been but it was hardly a record-setter.
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You can't judge comets just on their apparent brightness from Earth. Hale-Bopp at it's closest was 1.315 AU from Earth. Hyukatake, at about the same time came within only 0.102 AU, giving it a 166 fold brightness advantage.
Hald-Bopp was the largest, and intrinsically brightest comet since the Great Comet of 1729 at the very least.
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The media can sensationalize anything (Score:2)
It's only "one of the brightest comets this century" if 1) "this century" means "since 2000" and 2) "brightest" refers to its maximum brightness.
Like many comets, this comet was bright when it got near the sun. Comets are also hard to see when they get near the sun. The comet is already dimmer than magnitude 3 in skies that are washed out by twilight. You will be lucky if you can see it at all without at least binoculars, especially in a city.
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Well I saw it clearly with mine own eyes, from a quite light polluted city in the middle of Europe. Got the pictures to prove it, too.
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Year 2020 (Score:2)
Viruses, earthquakes (I felt one), civil unrest, economic damage, China taking over and now a comet.
Interference (Score:2)
I would love to see this comet, but alas, the clouds have a different goal.