Comet Neowise

[robj144]

Here's a chance to see a comet with the naked eye:



https://www.space.com/comet-neowise-...-forecast.html

I remember Hale Bopp being visible for weeks in about 25 years ago and it was pretty awesome. Haven't seen one with the naked since. But, I'll be looking for this one the next few days.

[Fogducker]

I was surprised at how many hobby astronomers there are. The new set-ups are really up town with computer guided telescopes and connected to their TV's. A LOT of new discoveries are by these folks.

Fog

[Earl49]

Originally Posted by robj144

I remember Hale Bopp being visible for weeks in about 25 years ago and it was pretty awesome. Haven't seen one with the naked since. But, I'll be looking for this one the next few days.

Thanks for posting. I'll have to look for this one. I remember Hale-Bopp really well too. I did a round-trip night flight from Anchorage to Homer, AK and there is not a lot of light on that route. I steered back home using the comet as a signpost.

[mc1]

Originally Posted by robj144

Here's a chance to see a comet with the naked eye:

https://www.space.com/comet-neowise-...-forecast.html

Cool, thanks. From the above link:

In the morning sky, the first views of NEOWISE could come as early as July 5 or 6 in the morning sky, very low above the northeast horizon. By around July 11, the comet will reach an altitude of nearly 10 degrees — for comparison, 10 degrees is roughly equal to the width of your fist held at arm's length. Then over the next 10 days it will gradually slide back down toward the north-northeast horizon, eventually disappearing from dawn visibility.

A far-better viewing perspective will become available in the evening sky starting around July 12, when it will appear low in the northwest sky. In the evenings to follow, the comet will rapidly climb higher in the sky.

"when it will appear low in the northwest sky" - Is this true all over Earth, or just the Northern Hemisphere?

[robj144]

Originally Posted by mc1

Cool, thanks. From the above link:



"when it will appear low in the northwest sky" - Is this true all over Earth, or just the Northern Hemisphere?

In the US.

[guitargabor]

Thanks for this enlightening news.I recall Hale-Bopp very well.it was in 1997.Not a very eventful years except for the publication of the first Harry Potter books...

This year's comet coincides with significant world events.

In the past, before scientific thinking, comets were a portend of disaster....

To me ,they signify the mystery and wonder of our universe and I believe ....hope.

[mc1]

Originally Posted by guitargabor

To me ,they signify the mystery and wonder of our universe and I believe ....hope.

Me too - I hope it don't hit us!

[Dru Edwards]

I'll be checking it out if the skies are clear. I live in a rural village so not too much light pollution.

[mc1]

Originally Posted by Dru Edwards

I'll be checking it out if the skies are clear. I live in a rural village so not too much light pollution.

I'm sure you are aware that Kejimkujik is a great dark-sky preserve with very little light pollution.

[Dirk Hofman]

Cool! Thanks a lot, I know I really liked seeing Halley's comet when it came around, my kids should enjoy this one.

[Dru Edwards]

Originally Posted by mc1

I'm sure you are aware that Kejimkujik is a great dark-sky preserve with very little light pollution.

That's right! And it's just under 1.5 hours away. Still, I'm in a great area.

On a side note, I'm a big hiker. I need to go to Keji this summer for a challenging hike.

[fumei]

It is too bad that so many people missed out on Comet Hyakutake which passed by in 1996. Hale-Bopp was spectacularly bright it is true, which made it easy to see. Plus it was around for a LONG time, with a lot of media attention. However...

Hyakutake, IMO, was much much MUCH more interesting than Hale-Bopp. HB was bright but it did not have a hugely long tail. Hyakuytake did. I have observed 61 comets, going back to Ikeya-Seki in 1965. In my personal opinion, Hyakutake was the best, with perhaps competition from Comet West (1976).

Hyakutake had a tail of 100 degrees! Naked eye! Half way across the sky! Plus it was circumpolar so it was visible all night. It was so close to Earth that I watched actual tail disconnection events in real-time. That is when a chunk of the comet nucleus breaks off and speeds away downstream (i.e along the tail). There is a gap between the bright chunk moving down the tail and the nucleus. I actually watched this in my telescope. However, the impressive thing really was the tail. Naked eye covering half the sky.

Unfortunately, Hyakutake came in fast, and left fast. There was only a few weeks of real observations. If you were not on tops of things and got out there immediately, you missed it. And that is what happened.

Comet West was exciting for being bright with a spectacular fan-tail. It really demonstrated the difference between the dust tail, and the gas tail. Gas tail always point directly opposite to the Sun. Dust tails often curve in different directions and do not always point from the Sun.

Hyakutake was long (really really long) and much more skinny.

Alas where I am it has been, and will likely continue to be, cloudy. But ya never know. So I will be setting my alarm for 3:00 AM each day just in case. Naked eye comets are rare so you have to make the effort...like getting up at 3:00 AM.

I did not photograph Hyakutake, but here is a fairly good shot of what it looked like.

[fumei]

4:00 AM today (July 10) I spotted Comet NEOWISE. There is a bit of thin cloud, so I can not see it naked eye. Plus the sky is rapidly brightening. Although if I was in a dark location (I am in the middle of a fairly large city) I am pretty sure it would be naked eye. Even through the clouds, with binoculars it is bright enough that I can see some structure to the tail, which is about 1/2 degree.

Cool.

[Dru Edwards]

Originally Posted by fumei

4:00 AM today (July 10) I spotted Comet NEOWISE. There is a bit of thin cloud, so I can not see it naked eye. Plus the sky is rapidly brightening. Although if I was in a dark location (I am in the middle of a fairly large city) I am pretty sure it would be naked eye. Even through the clouds, with binoculars it is bright enough that I can see some structure to the tail, which is about 1/2 degree.

Cool.

I think I'm going to miss it. Sun is out now but giving light rain/showers for the next few days.

[fumei]

Took this shot about 20 minutes ago (3:50 AM July 13). My focus sucks...

It was easy naked eye, even from my light polluted city park. It is rapidly heading south and will be unavailable in a few days because by the time it DOES rise it will be deep into twilight. Still battling clouds. Trying to think of where I can go where it will be darker AND I can get a very low view to the north. Unfortunately I have mountains to the north.




All in all though, it is nice to see another naked eye comet. It was very good in binos. Definitely structure in the tail.