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Author Topic: Comet NEOWISE now visible in the evening sky  (Read 518 times)

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Offline Elderberry

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Comet NEOWISE now visible in the evening sky
« on: July 13, 2020, 11:49:22 pm »
Watts Up With That by Meteorologist Paul Dorian 7/13/2020

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.  In recent days, this comet has been visible shortly before sunrise, but now, it has become an evening object as well and will actually be visible at both ends of the day for the rest of this week. Next week, however, will favor evening viewing as the comet will move north (higher) towards the Big Dipper. For the next few days, if you’re an early riser, look low to the northeast sky before sunrise; if viewing in the evening, look low to the northwest sky shortly after sunset.

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 July 23rd and it won’t back for nearly 7000 years.

Later this month, Comet NEOWISE will climb in the nighttime sky to a position near the Big Dipper.

More: https://wattsupwiththat.com/2020/07/13/comet-neowise-now-visible-in-the-evening-sky/

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Offline Gefn

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Re: Comet NEOWISE now visible in the evening sky
« Reply #1 on: July 13, 2020, 11:57:07 pm »
 :bkmk:

Any amateur astronomers here?
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Offline Smokin Joe

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Re: Comet NEOWISE now visible in the evening sky
« Reply #2 on: July 14, 2020, 02:27:42 am »
Neat!
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Offline Hoodat

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Re: Comet NEOWISE now visible in the evening sky
« Reply #3 on: July 14, 2020, 04:09:54 am »
Here's a photo taken in Montana

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Offline montanajoe

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Re: Comet NEOWISE now visible in the evening sky
« Reply #4 on: July 15, 2020, 05:14:08 am »
I was just out and happened to notice it this evening, its due north northwest in the evening sky from my vantage. Didn't expect to see it this early supposed to be at it's brightest in about a week might be pretty spectacular... :shrug:
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Offline Hoodat

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Re: Comet NEOWISE now visible in the evening sky
« Reply #5 on: July 15, 2020, 05:17:30 am »
Tried looking tonight, but there were clouds in that direction.  How long after sunset is it visible?
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If a political party does not have its foundation in the determination to advance a cause that is right and that is moral, then it is not a political party; it is merely a conspiracy to seize power.     -Dwight Eisenhower-

"The [U.S.] Constitution is a limitation on the government, not on private individuals ... it does not prescribe the conduct of private individuals, only the conduct of the government ... it is not a charter for government power, but a charter of the citizen's protection against the government."     -Ayn Rand-

Offline montanajoe

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Re: Comet NEOWISE now visible in the evening sky
« Reply #6 on: July 15, 2020, 05:20:39 am »
It's nearly 11:30pm here and still about 20 degrees above northern skyline so maybe another hour or two?
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Offline Gefn

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Re: Comet NEOWISE now visible in the evening sky
« Reply #7 on: July 15, 2020, 09:38:24 am »
I missed it. Fell asleep. I’ll look for it tonight, pending i don’t get a lot of light pollution
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