Comet NEOWISE

Comet C/2020 F3 (NEOWISE) is a long period comet that was discovered by astronomers on March 27, 2020. It was discovered using the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) spacecraft. This spacecraft is currently being used to find Near-Earth Objects (NEOs) and so this mission is known as NEOWISE, hence the name of the comet.
The nucleus of Comet NEOWISE is about 5 kilometers in diameter, but it's tail grew to be hundreds of thousands of kilometers long! The comet made its closest approach to the Sun on July 3 and then started heading back out toward the outer Solar System.

Comet NEOWISE is expected to make its closest approach to Earth on July 22, passing by at a distance of 103 million kilometers.

​From July 21 to July 28, you can spot the comet ​after sunset, low in the northwestern sky, below the Big Dipper. For the best viewing, make sure to find a spot away from city lights and with an unobstructed view of the sky. While you may be able to see the comet with your naked eye, it would probably be best to bring along some binoculars or a small telescope.
Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE)

Where is ​Comet NEOWISE tonight?

Your Guide to Comet NEOWISE from July 21, 2020 to July 28, 2020
The night sky animation that appears below consists of 8 separate images - one for each night during this 8-day period - and will hopefully help you spot the comet. Each image shows the northwestern (NW) sky, as seen from the Calgary area, at 11:45 PM. We strongly encourage you to use binoculars because the brightness of the comet has diminished substantially since July 6, 2020. At that time, it was very easy to spot the comet with the naked eye, but now, not so much!
Illustration by James Durbano using Starry Night Pro 8 (Simulation Curriculum)
If you don’t spot the comet this time around, you won’t get another chance. It has a long, elliptical orbit, and so it will be approximately 6,800 years before Comet NEOWISE returns to the inner Solar System.

​Comet NEOWISE Photographs

These photographs of Comet NEOWISE were captured by members of the Big Sky Astronomical Society.
Comet NEOWISE
July 9, 2020 at 3:59 AM
​© James Durbano (2020)

​Comet C/2020 F3 (NEOWISE)

​This beautiful image of Comet NEOWISE was captured by an enthusiastic member of the Big Sky Astronomical Society.
​It clearly shows the blue ion tail, as well as the white dust tail.
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