Experts are excited to share why star gazing in the Northern Hemisphere for the rest of the month is special. Comet NEOWISE will continue to streak in the night sky until the end of July.
According to NASA, the comet will be seen again by stargazers after 6,800 years. At the beginning of the month, the comet had low visibility in the early morning sky, it has transitioned into a bright display during the night.
NEOWISE is named after NASA's Near-Earth Object Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer, which discovered the comet in March. The comet is so bright it can be seen with the naked eye.
To see it, experts say that stargazers must first find the Big Dipper constellation. The comet will appear just below it, which appears to be a hazy star with a tail.
Comet NEOWISE
NEOWISE continues to rise higher in the Northern Hemisphere and will be closest to Earth on July 22. Astronomers are predicting that it will remain in view until the end of the month although comets tend to unpredictably disappear at any time.
Scientists are also calling the comet a survivor after its close encounter with the Sun. It made a close approach to the large star without breaking apart, which had happened to other comets such as Comet Atlas in 2019.
After gracing Earth's skies with its brilliance, Comet NEOWISE will continue its long orbital journey to the end of the solar system. As it had passed by Earth 6,800 years ago, it will take the same amount of years for the comet to be witnessed by humans again.
In March, the Near-Earth Object Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer mission was launched to create an all-sky map using infrared light. During mapping, Comet NEOWISE was spotted on March 27.
'This is coming in from a medium-long distance," said Amy Mainzer, the head investigator of the NEOWISE mission from the University of Arizona. "How it got there is a bit of a mystery. It may have had a more distant orbit that was perturbed to create this current orbit.
The mission had also found a few dozen other comets. 'We're excited it's still able to find spectacular things like this comet,' Mainzer expressed.
Read Also: Here's What We Know About Comet NEOWISE and How to See Its Dazzling Show This Month
Other Sightings for July
Astronomers are also delighted to report that Saturn will be at its peak brightness before the sun sets today on July 20. Mercury will then make an appearance just two mornings after.
With a small telescope, Saturn's rings can be seen. With binoculars, Jupiter can be easily spotted, too.
Tonight, due to the New Moon, the night skies will look moonless. This is the result of the moon being aligned in between the Earth and Sun for the rest of the week.
On July 22, before the peak of NEOWISE's brightness in the night sky, Mercury will appear early in the morning. The planet may be seen with binoculars since it will not be too bright in appearance.
Read Also: Venus Will Be At Its Brightest This Week: Here's How You Can See It
