Comet Neowise has been dazzling the Northern hemisphere skies for some days now. People from different countries have been sharing pictures of the comet with the long tail, looking spectacular in the night and the morning skies.?
Good news for star gazers in India is that Comet C/2020 F3, or NEOWISE will be better visible in India with naked eyes from July 14, according to the deputy director of Pathani Samanta Planetarium, in Odisha¡¯s Bhubaneswar.
¡°From July 14, C/2020 F3 will be clearly visible in the north-western sky. It will be visible after sunset for around 20 minutes for the next 20 days. People can observe it with naked eyes,¡± Dr Subhendu Pattnaik told news agency ANI.
According to NASA, Neowise was visible best in the hour before the dawn till the middle of the month but it can be best viewed as an evening object from mid-July onwards.?
¡°A far better viewing perspective will be available in the evening sky starting around July 14, when it will appear low in the northwest sky (20 degrees from the horizon) for around 20 minutes. In the evenings to follow, the comet will rapidly climb higher in the sky and will be visible for a longer period,¡± Dr Pattnaik reportedly said.?
To have a better viewing experience he recommended a pair of binoculars.?
¡°Around 30th July it can be seen near Ursa Major (Saptarshi Mandal) at an altitude of 40 degrees and will be visible for an hour. After July it will fade away very fast and will not be visible to the unaided eye. A pair of binoculars or a small telescope will enhance its visibility,¡± he told ANI.
With every passing day the comet will become clearer and easier to glance at and will be the closest to Earth between July 22 and July 23.
According to scientists the comet is about five kilometres. Its nucleus is covered with sooty material dating back to the origin of our solar system 4.6 billion years ago.
The comet will not appear again for almost 7,000 years; it is already headed back to the outer solar system. So, do not miss this opportunity of a lifetime to catch a glimpse of it in the northwestern sky after sunset, for the next coming days!?
Also Read:?A New Comet Has Been Discovered By NASA??