Comet NEOWISE Has Suddenly Become Visible to the Unaided Eye

[RPM 26,342]

https://scitechdaily.com/comet-neowise-has-suddenly-become-visible-to-the-unaided-eye/

A comet has suddenly become visible to the unaided eye. Comet C/2020 F3 (NEOWISE) was discovered in late March and brightened as it reached its closest approach to the Sun, inside the orbit of Mercury, late last week.

The interplanetary iceberg survived solar heating, so far, and is now becoming closer to the Earth as it starts its long trek back to the outer Solar System. As Comet NEOWISE became one of the few naked-eye comets of the 21st Century, word spread quickly, and the comet has already been photographed behind many famous sites and cities around the globe.

Featured, Comet NEOWISE was captured over Lebanon two days ago just before sunrise. The future brightness of Comet NEOWISE remains somewhat uncertain but the comet will likely continue to be findable not only in the early morning sky, but also next week in the early evening sky.

[Hate 20,140]

That’s awesome. We will have to watch for it over the next couple of weeks.

[Poolflood 845]

So let's say I'm in Texas.  What would be the best time/day to go outside and look up to see Neo?

Oh and which way do I look? 

I'll hang up and listen

[RPM 26,342]

On 7/8/2020 at 7:40 PM, Poolflood said:

So let's say I'm in Texas.  What would be the best time/day to go outside and look up to see Neo?

Oh and which way do I look? 

I'll hang up and listen

By mid July (around July 12-15), the comet will become visible at dusk (just after sunset), low in the northwest horizon.

Now look below for a couple of evening charts for later this month. Comet NEOWISE will be closest to Earth on July 22-23, 2020. It will pass at some 64 million miles (103 million km) from our planet.

Edited July 10, 2020 by RPM

[Prepuce of Doom 21,102]

Set the alarm and got a good look at Venus, Mars, Saturn, and Jupiter just now, but I think the comet was too low in the sky for me to see from my yard in Chicago. 

Oh well. I guess I'll just put on my Nikes and get back into bed. 

Edited July 11, 2020 by Prepuce of Doom

[crimsonlonghorn 2,306]

I tried this morning but couldn't find it. 

[RPM 26,342]

You should be looking at dusk. Dawn next week. I haven't seen it yet.

[Upgrayedd 5,818]

3 hours ago, Prepuce of Doom said:

Set the alarm and got a good look at Venus, Mars, Saturn, and Jupiter just now, but I think the comet was too low in the sky for me to see from my yard in Chicago. 

Oh well. I guess I'll just put on my Nikes and get back into bed. 

Make sure you’ve got your $5.75

[Prepuce of Doom 21,102]

4 hours ago, RPM said:

You should be looking at dusk. Dawn next week. I haven't seen it yet.

It was still supposed to be visible before dawn today, but will soon transition to an evening schedule. 

https://www.cnet.com/google-amp/news/comet-neowise-is-visible-now-how-to-watch-it-this-month/

[Braff Zacklin 13,655]

Pretty good viewing tonight from town here in SE Idaho. Jupiter and its four Galilean moons also easily discernible (with binocs).

[Armybrat 40,887]

Too hazy here in Round Rock.

Did see what appeared to be a polar orbiting satellite overhead North/south direction, not blinking or twinkling, pretty faint steady pinpoint of light. Not an aircraft.

[Nice Guy Eddie 13,522]

On 7/17/2020 at 9:40 PM, Armybrat said:

Too hazy here in Round Rock.

Did see what appeared to be a polar orbiting satellite overhead North/south direction, not blinking or twinkling, pretty faint steady pinpoint of light. Not an aircraft.

Plenty of options but you would be surprised how often the Space station is overhead. Easy to see even in a city. Usually lasts a few minutes.

[RPM 26,342]

I see the ISS all the time, but I haven't seen the comet yet.

[Armybrat 40,887]

I’ve seen the ISS a number of times, but didn’t think it came close to doing a polar orbit.

I know military spy satellites and commercial survey ones have taken that path since the 1960s.

[Prepuce of Doom 21,102]

Struck out seeing the comet in NW Chicago tonight. I might have seen it through my shitty little pocket-sized binoculars, but if I did, it was indistinguishable from any other random small point of light. 

But the boy and I did see a bat, Jupiter, Saturn, and a satellite, as well as a large 747 leaving ORD. 

~~~~~

Here is an extremely helpful resource for watching the ISS and satellites that someone else posted somewhere else previously:

https://james.darpinian.com/satellites/

[Prepuce of Doom 21,102]