Neowise Comet

[jackiemac]

Not sure if those of you interested in astronomy have managed to catch a glimpse of the latest comet to appear. Neowise.

It has been cloudy here in Scotland but tonight we managed to see it for an hour or so.  If you are somewhere with a dark clear sky, try to get out and see it. I think it is visible about an hour after sunset and before sunrise to the North North East, well here in the UK.

Once Steve has processed his photos in the morning I will post one.

It should be here for most of July and closest to earth on 23rd.  We wish we were out west so we could be somewhere interesting to photograph it from.  ??? Sigh....


https://www.nasa.gov/feature/goddard/2020/nasa-s-parker-solar-probe-spies-newly-discovered-comet-neowise/

 

[camperAL]

Hi Jackie,

My sister and I got up early Sunday morning (3:30 a.m.) and were able to see the comet. It is a naked eye object but should be viewed away from light pollution or you won't be able to see it. I keep hearing you can see it in the evening sky but on an ap that was used by another viewer, it showed a 2:38 a.m. rise so I wonder if it can really be seen yet in the evening sky. Perhaps the tail might be on the horizon. I do know that later on we should have views of it in the evening sky.

We were viewing in the North North East and it was very bright in a dark sky setting. Depending on where you are located in the world will change your angle of view. Good Comet watching!

 

[UTTransplant]

We have such light polluted skies and so much haze due to humidity, we haven?t even tried to see it :-( Wish I was out west with clear, dry skies.

 

[jackiemac]

Not the best quality due to size but gives you an idea of what it looks like.

 

[Lou Schneider]

Another technique to view a comet is averted vision.  I stopped in at Slab City on my way to the El Centro, CA Escapade when Haley's Comet came around in 1986.

Like Quartzsite, it's a dark sky environment with dry air so it's a great place for stargazing.  If I looked directly at the comet the tail appeared to be a moderate length.  But the human eye is more sensitive to dim light away from center vision, so if I averted my gaze to look at it with my peripheral vision I could trace the tail from the comet directly overhead almost all the way to the horizon.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Averted_vision

 

[Larry N.]

Not the best quality due to size but gives you an idea of what it looks like.

Nice shot, Jackie. It looks a great deal like the comet West, which I saw in the wee hours the morning of 5 Mar 1976, enroute around 9,000 ft. MSL from Albuquerque to El Paso. Shortly after I took off from ABQ, I noticed a bright light off my left wing at what seemed like the base of the Sandias and thought, "They're doing experiments at Sandia Base." But a little bit later I realized it was still with me and over the next hour or so I was puzzled that it was still with me, and in pretty much the same relative position.

Finally, as it started to get light in the east, I realized that what I was seeing was actually above the mountains, so I finally figured out that it was the comet West. My initial mindset of a Sandia Labs experiment probably kept me from recognizing it sooner.

It's amazing the tricks your eyes and mind can play on you when it's too dark to see much. That's a very fond memory.

 

[jackiemac]

Thanks Lou, if we get another chance I will try that.

Great story Larry, how wonderful.

 

[Rene T]

I'm going to wait and see it the next time it comes around. It will not return to Earth's skies for about 6,800 years.

 

[Dragginourbedaround]

Not sure if those of you interested in astronomy have managed to catch a glimpse of the latest comet to appear. Neowise.

It has been cloudy here in Scotland but tonight we managed to see it for an hour or so.  If you are somewhere with a dark clear sky, try to get out and see it. I think it is visible about an hour after sunset and before sunrise to the North North East, well here in the UK.

Once Steve has processed his photos in the morning I will post one.

It should be here for most of July and closest to earth on 23rd.  We wish we were out west so we could be somewhere interesting to photograph it from.  ??? Sigh....


https://www.nasa.gov/feature/goddard/2020/nasa-s-parker-solar-probe-spies-newly-discovered-comet-neowise/

Hi Jackie, I follow Astronomy Picture of the day. Below is one of many images of Neowise. If you click on Discover the Cosmos it will take you to the main page where you can choose from several images.

https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap200714.html

Another technique to view a comet is averted vision.  I stopped in at Slab City on my way to the El Centro, CA Escapade when Haley's Comet came around in 1986.

Like Quartzsite, it's a dark sky environment with dry air so it's a great place for stargazing unless it's performance night with the stage lights on at the Range nightclub.  If I looked directly at the comet the tail appeared to be a moderate length.  But the human eye is more sensitive to dim light away from center vision, so if I averted my gaze to look at it with my peripheral vision I could trace the tail from the comet directly overhead almost all the way to the horizon.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Averted_vision

Lou, we were taught that night vision technique on the rifle range during night firing at Fort Dix Basic Training back in 1963.

 

[jackiemac]

Rene, let's hope we do!

Gene thanks for the link. I did wonder what it would look like from the ISS, now I know  ;D

I have seen some fabulous photos on various Facebook groups.

 

[Memtb]

  jackiemac, As we live rural (minimal ambient lighting), we are not rv?ing, and clouds are virtually non-existent.....we can see it ever night, while flushing out our irrigation filters!  As dry as we are here, I?d trade the possibility of clouds with rain.....over seeing the comet ?every? night!    memtb

 

[Isaac-1]

We tried to go out and see it last night, but had no luck, my guess is too much humidity here

 

[jackiemac]

  jackiemac, As we live rural (minimal ambient lighting), we are not rv?ing, and clouds are virtually non-existent.....we can see it ever night, while flushing out our irrigation filters!  As dry as we are here, I?d trade the possibility of clouds with rain.....over seeing the comet ?every? night!    memtb

Well Todd, I hope you get the much needed rain without any accompanying fire!

 

[jackiemac]

We tried to go out and see it last night, but had no luck, my guess is too much humidity here

If you can see stars you should be able to see it. It can take a while to spot it.

 

[Isaac-1]

Stars were only visible overhead, but not withing about 35-40 degrees of the horizon in any direction.

 

[Memtb]

    jackiemac, Very true, we need the rain....not the lightening that may accompany! Though, in our area, there?s not a lot of brush to burn! 

    Issac, one of the hazards of living in Louisiana, the air is so heavy with humidity .....you can?t see through it!    The comet is so low on our horizon, with the extra atmosphere with little smoke/dust added for texture  ;D .....it?s not a real sharp image!  memtb

 

[rbTN]

last night near Grand Tetons I saw it, took a couple pics but I'm not really a photographer, here is one attempt

 

[ChasA]

RbTN, that is a very good photo. We can't see anything nearly as good here.

 

[jackiemac]

Great shot!  I am jealous as we would be in the Tetons now.

 

[ArdraF]

Yes, a good shot.  I can see it clearly.  Thanks!

ArdraF