Did you a catch Comet NEOWISE zipping through the night sky before it disappears for 6,800 years?
If you haven’t seen it yet NASA says there is still a chance for those who live in the Northern Hemisphere to catch a glimpse.
“Comets are notoriously unpredictable, so it’s impossible to know if this one will remain so easy to spot, but if it does, it should become easier for more people to observe as July goes on,” the national space agency wrote in a July 16 online post.
“Its closest approach to Earth will be on July 22, at a distance of about 64 million miles (103 million kilometers),” the post continued.
Comet NEOWISE is visible to skywatchers during the month of July – but what are the best times to catch a glimpse and where should you look? Get the details: https://t.co/fQ7NraGezz pic.twitter.com/YqQIMiUU8C
— NASA (@NASA) July 15, 2020
The comet formally known as C/2020 F3 (NEOWISE) was discovered on March 27 by NASA’s Near-Earth Object Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (NEOWISE) mission, according to the space agency.
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Photos of a beam of light streaking across an evening sky were captured by a photographer last week.
“Last night (10.45 p.m.), the comet NEOWISE came out in a big way,” said the post shared by Randy Small on July 14.
“I was just north of Lynden, WA shooting NW (northwest) towards Langley,” he added.
Last night (10:45 pm), the #comet #NEOWISE came out in a big way. I was just north of #Lynden, WA shooting NW towards #Langley, #BritishColumbia. @MMadryga @NEWS1130Weather @ensembleator @ErinMayovsky @spann @ThePhotoHour @NWSSeattle @StormHour @ScottSKOMO @MorganKIRO7 pic.twitter.com/X1ngj2OhJp
— Randy Small – Whatcom County Weather (@RandySmall) July 14, 2020
NASA says comet NEOWISE was created during the birth of our solar system about 4.6 billion year ago.
“Comets are frozen leftovers from the formation of the solar system composed of dust, rock and ices,” according to NASA.
“They range from a few miles to tens of miles wide, but as they orbit closer to the sun, they heat up and spew gases and dust into a glowing head that can be larger than a planet. This material forms a tail that stretches millions of miles.”
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