Comet NEOWISE is Now Heading Past Earth

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  Comet C/2020 F3 NEOWISE is visible in the northern skies this month, offering skywatchers in the Northern Hemisphere a unique and rare sight. The comet was discovered this year in March and on July 3, NEOWISE survived its closest pass of the Sun. The comet is now heading past Earth and on July 23 the comet will swing by from a distance of about 64 million miles. Comet NEOWISE will not reappear for another 6,800 years, so this is your last chance to see the comet in action. According to spaceweather.com the comet is beginning to dim. Over the last two days, the comet’s brightness has dropped by about 2 magnitudes. However, the comet’s tail is still visible to the naked eye. The comet is now moving toward Ursa Major, the constellation of the Bear. This means observers can use the stars of the Big Dipper to find the comet. The week ahead should be a good one for even casual photographers of the night sky.

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