Have you ever seen a comet? Now's your chance | iNFOnews | Thompson-Okanagan's News Source
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Have you ever seen a comet? Now's your chance

The comet Neowise is visible in the early morning sky, with some viewers so far able to view it with the naked eye.
Image Credit: Wikimedia commons

There’s a celestial object catching the attention of stargazers looking into the early morning skies that could be visible to the naked eye this week.

Comet C/2020F3, otherwise known as Neowise, was discovered on March 27, 2020, by a NASA space telescope.

It passed by the sun unharmed and should be visible in the pre-dawn sky where it will be highest around July 11.

EarthSky.org says the comet might be easier to see in the second half of July if it remains relatively bright because it will appear higher in the sky by then, but it can be seen this week even though it is close to the horizon as dawn breaks.

The comet will be closest to the Earth on July 22 to 23. If the comet continues to shine, the view during that night should be one of the best, although binoculars still might be needed to view it.

To find Neowise in the early morning sky, look to the left of Venus in the east sky to find the bright star known as Capella. The comet will be below Capella, about 45 to 60 minutes before sunrise.

For more information on the comet’s location in the sky, check out this website.

If you miss Neowise this time around, you’ll be out of luck for future viewing, — the next time Neowise is expected to be visible from Earth is the year 8786.

Comet C2020 F3 Neowise

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