Going to spend all summer (probably) on making this 3x2 mosaic
Not as bright as Hale-Bopp. You can probably spot the small bright fuzzy dot of the coma of NEOWISE from within a city with binocs, but otherwise to enjoy seeing the whole thing with the naked eye you need a fairly dark sky.
Depends on latitude, and it is a balance between the comet getting higher in the sky and easier to pick up from the twilight, vs. growing dimmer as it gets farther from the Sun. For you, anytime in the next week is probably good.
I'm sure the team of scientists and engineers who worked on the satellite and its extended NEOWISE mission appreciate it. Naming the comet after the craft also helps more people to learn about it and recognize the importance of funding projects like these. One of the most important things NEOWISE does is discover more asteroids that could potentially threaten Earth. On that note, Scott Manley has a nice video about the comet and how it was discovered.
ah, I guess I just like the personality of a name like "Hale-Bopp" for some reason lol.Not as bright as Hale-Bopp. You can probably spot the small bright fuzzy dot of the coma of NEOWISE from within a city with binocs, but otherwise to enjoy seeing the whole thing with the naked eye you need a fairly dark sky.Depends on latitude, and it is a balance between the comet getting higher in the sky and easier to pick up from the twilight, vs. growing dimmer as it gets farther from the Sun. For you, anytime in the next week is probably good.I'm sure the team of scientists and engineers who worked on the satellite and its extended NEOWISE mission appreciate it. Naming the comet after the craft also helps more people to learn about it and recognize the importance of funding projects like these. One of the most important things NEOWISE does is discover more asteroids that could potentially threaten Earth. On that note, Scott Manley has a nice video about the comet and how it was discovered.
[youtube]adkko_XRETo[/youtube]
¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Comet magnitudes are notoriously unpredictable. We expect it to fade to around magnitude 5 or 6 by July 30th, but it could brighten suddenly, or it could disintegrate. My advice: look for it whenever you can.