“Imagine there is a comet in the sky and nobody is looking.” This could be the modification of a well-known saying at the moment. For the first time in 23 years, a tail star can be seen with the naked eye, but this message is not yet known to the general public. That is why it has so far been mainly professional and hobby astronomers who enjoy this heavenly spectacle. It is quite easy to spot the comet – you just have to know when and where to look. You are rewarded with a sight that is not often granted in life.
The last time a comet that was visible to the naked eye was in the sky was in 1997. At that time, comet Hale-Bopp was emblazoned in the sky for several months, and its appearance caused a great public response. Hale-Bopp was the brightest comet in several decades and probably the most eye-catching tail star of the 20th century.
Now another comet is following in its footsteps, known in the technical language as C / 2020 F3 (Neowise). It was discovered on March 27, 2020 by NASA’s Neowise space telescope. Comets are kilometer-sized chunks of dust, debris, and frozen gases that once formed in the cold outer regions of our solar system. If they are distracted from their orbit by disturbances from other celestial bodies, they can penetrate into the inner solar system. Near the sun, its surface heats up, releasing some of the frozen gases. Since these escaping gases also sweep dust with them, the typical tails of a comet arise, which always point away from the sun.
Next time in 8800
Komet Neowise moves on a very elongated elliptical orbit around the sun with an orbital period of several thousand years. The last time he was near the sun was around 2500 BC. BC. In other words, around the time when the first pyramids were formed in Egypt and Europe was shaped by the culture of cord ceramics and bell cups. The next appearance of this comet is not expected until around the year 8800. So if you miss the comet Neowise during its current visibility period, you will never get the chance again.
On July 3, the comet reached the closest point of its orbit to the sun. It is currently moving away from the sun again, but is still closer to it than the planet Venus. As a result, it stands in the sky not far from the sun when viewed from Earth. We see him almost exactly in the north around midnight. In our latitudes it does not sink below the horizon, so we can see it both in the evening and in the morning sky. However, it is currently still very low above the northern horizon. In order to observe it well, a clear view to the north is required. Houses or already shrubs and trees can obscure the view of him.
If you want to observe the comet, it is best to use binoculars and look for the northern horizon after dark. The comet’s head appears as a fuzzy star from which a diffuse tail emerges. It can be seen in photographs that the tail consists of two parts, a gas tail and a dust tail, which extend more than ten degrees across the sky. In the binoculars only the dust tail can be seen, which after maybe two degrees (which is four times the diameter of the full moon in the sky) loses itself in the night sky brightness. If you have spotted the comet with binoculars, it is usually easy to see with the naked eye.
Orientate on the Big Dipper
In the next few days the comet will move higher in the sky. Anyone who knows the conspicuous star group of the Big Dipper has a little orientation aid: The comet is located in the sky area between the north point on the horizon (the compass in the cell phone helps to determine the north direction) and the Big Dipper. With this type of celestial object, it is difficult to predict how the comet’s brightness will develop. So it is recommended to use every clear evening for observation. At the end of July at the latest, the comet will escape observation with naked eyes and binoculars and will then only be visible in the telescope.
© Schwetzinger Zeitung, Friday, July 17th, 2020
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