It seems to be the season for sky shows as the galaxy must be aware that people are bored out of their minds in their homes. Just this week, the Eta Aquariids meteor shower will be filling the skies, peaking on May 7. It is one of the two meteor showers coming from Halley's comet.
This time, the Comet Swan is expected to make an appearance mid-May. Although there is no exact time and date given regarding the comet's arrival, Astronomer Con Stoitsis said on a Twitter post that the comet should be evident to the naked eye by the middle of the month.
Recent light curve predictions for Comet C/2020 F8 Swan indicating a maximum magnitude of approx 3.5!. It should be an “obvious” naked eye target in mid May. pic.twitter.com/r4FKvYg8Lr — Con Stoitsis (@vivstoitsis) April 30, 2020
In yet another Twitter post, astrophotographer Damian Peach called the Swan "The best comet he's seen in some years."
#Comet C/2020 F8 (SWAN) on April 28th. https://t.co/9gYRe03XHS The tail on this is now at least 8deg long! The best comet ive seen in some years! 200mm F2 lens with FLI CCD camera. pic.twitter.com/zYmTixHl1U — Damian Peach (@peachastro) April 28, 2020
The comet makes its closest encounter to Earth on May 13 and comes nearest to the Sun on May 27. Several online tools can help you detect and predict the coming of the Comet Swan. An excellent tool, in particular, is the TheSkyLive to help you locate the comet's location at night.
The comet also has its own Twitter account. For more accurate updates, you may follow it to make sure you don't miss it.
Just a heads up for eager observers: always remember that comets are unpredictable, just like what Comet Altas previously demonstrated as it broke and fizzled out. Similarly, Comet Swan could go from illuminating to disintegrating and fading out at any given moment.
Having said that, it would probably be a good idea to try and catch a glimpse of it earlier. Why not hit two birds with one stone by watching this week's Eta Aquariids meteor shower and the Comet Swan as well.
The Comet Swan
Scientifically known as C/2020 F8, Comet Swan was discovered by Michael Mattiazzo of Swan Hill, Victoria, Australia, on March 25, 2020, as the SWAN Camera took pictures of it aboard the Solar Heliospheric Observer spacecraft.
The comet is located about 0.7 astronomical units from the Earth in the constellation of Cetus. It is also less than 50 degrees from the Sun.
From a dark location, it would be easily visible to the naked eye. But with the presence of twilight glare or other external lights, it might be hard to view the comet.
The Southern hemisphere is where the comet can be best viewed, as you need to be South of 30 degrees North to see it. Folks at the Northern hemisphere can also get a good view toward the end of May when it is close to the star Capella.
More to Look Forward To
Also making an appearance this month is the "Flower Moon", which will be the last supermoon for 2020. It is expected to peak at 6:45 A.M. on Thursday morning but will come out full for much of the week.
According to NASA, the moon will turn up full from Tuesday night until Friday morning, giving observers plenty of time to catch it.
The "Flower Moon" got its name from Native American tribes who named it after the vast number of flowers that bloom in May, as told in The Old Farmer's Almanac. It is also sometimes called the Corn Planting Moon and Milk Moon.
This year's May full moon is also referred to by some as the Vesak Festival Moon. It coincides with the Buddhist holiday Vesak, which honors the birth, enlightenment, and passing of Gautama Buddha.
