Twin Tailed Comet NEOWISE Shining Through the Rosy Glow of Dawn — Now Visible with the Naked Eye
- nemesis maturity
BRIGHT MORNING COMET: Comet NEOWISE (C/2020 F3) is doing something very rare: Shining through the rosy glow of dawn. Amateur astronomers captured the bright comet before dawn. Yesterday, July 3rd, Comet NEOWISE passed by the sun near the orbit of Mercury. Intense solar heating boosted its brightness to magnitude +1, allowing it to be seen despite its close proximity to the sun. This development has turned NEOWISE into one of the most remarkable comets in years. Reports indicate the comet developed a second tail. One tail is made of dust and the other tail is made of gas. Comet NEOWISE is just getting started. It is barely visible to the naked eye now only because it has to compete with the glow of dawn. The situation will improve in the days ahead as NEOWISE moves into darker skies. If it retains its current luminosity, the comet should put on a very good show indeed. Set your alarm for dawn!
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