Comet Neowise Streaking Past Earth Will Provide a Great Light Show from Space
A newly discovered comet is streaking past Earth, giving a stunning nighttime show after going near the sun, which expanded its tail.
Comet Neowise — the brightest comet visible from the Northern Hemisphere in a quarter-century — swept within Mercury's orbit a week ago. Its close proximity to the sun caused dust and gas to burn off its surface and create an even bigger debris tail. Now the comet is headed our way, with the closest approach in two weeks.
NASA's Neowise infrared space telescope discovered the comet in March, so the space agency named the comet after its telescope.
The Comet NEOWISE or C/2020 F3 is seen above Salgotarjan, Hungary, early Friday, July 10, 2020. It passed closest to the Sun on July 3 and its closest approach to the Earth will occur on July 23. (Peter Komka/MTI via AP)
Scientists involved in the mission said the comet is a large one measuring about 3 miles (5 kilometers) across.
Neowise will be visible across the Northern Hemisphere until mid-August when it heads back toward the outer solar system. While it's visible with the naked eye in dark skies with little or no light pollution, binoculars are needed to see the long tail, according to NASA. Its closest approach to the Earth will occur on July 23.
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If you're thinking about waiting to see the comet on its next pass around the solar system think again because you won't be here to enjoy it.
It will be about 7,000 years before the comet returns, "so I wouldn't suggest waiting for the next pass," said the telescope's deputy principal investigator Joe Masiero of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California.
He said it is the brightest comet since the mid-1990s for stargazers in the Northern Hemisphere.
Astronauts aboard the International Space Station have already caught a glimpse of Neowise.
NASA's Bob Behnken shared a spectacular photo of the comet on social media late Thursday, showing central Asia in the background and the space station in the foreground.
"Stars, cities, spaceships, and a comet!" he tweeted from orbit.
Night sky, just before dawn from @Space_Station.
— Bob Behnken (@AstroBehnken) July 9, 2020
Stars, cities, spaceships, and a comet! pic.twitter.com/fCKjrfayC1
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