Finding Comet NEOWISE - Program Recap
For those who’d like to try and catch comet NEOWISE tomorrow, here’s a quick summary of tonight’s program.
The comet will be visible after 4:15 AM looking North-East, just above the glow of dawn. At that time it will be roughly one hands-width held at arm’s length above the horizon. The head of the comet will appear about as bright as the nearby star Capella, which is likely the only star visible in that region, depending on conditions. The tail of the comet will point almost straight up (it’s being blown back away from the Sun, think of it being pushed like a sail against the Sun), and will be about two finger-widths long.
Comets are often portrayed as long sweeping objects that cover half the sky, in reality it’s much smaller, but no less stunning!
There’s more! We happen to also have a staggering planetary lineup, with Venus shining at the brightest it can ever get, followed by Mars, the Moon, Saturn and Jupiter all arrayed in a line that spans from one horizon to the other. See the graphic to help get oriented.
And if that wasn’t enough, the International Space Station (ISS) is making a pass right above comet NEOWISE at 4:50 AM. To see this rare pairing, look West of the comet (to your left) around 4:48 AM and wait for it to rise over the horizon and head just over comet NEOWISE by 4:50 AM. It won’t be as bright, but careful planning and focus will help up your odds of seeing it.
For those who’d like to learn more about the software we use, you can learn more at the following link. We run Starry Night Pro Plus 8, which is used to generate imagery and graphics for almost all of our posts (www.standleylakestargazing.com/news), and they make an entry level program that’s budget friendly but also a step up from open-source programs like Stellarium.
Comet NEOWISE (C/2020 F3) is so new that it may not yet appear in the databases of many free astronomy programs, if you have trouble finding it you can always refer to www.skyandtelescope.com for the latest, and we’ll produce graphics on our page as well.
Daily updates will follow to follow.
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Stay well, and clear skies!