NEOWISE comet

[alexikeguchi]

Did anyone catch the NEOWISE comet yet? I just came back from viewing, and it was delightful. The comet is already visible to the naked eye, though binoculars definitely help, and it will be progressively easier to see as it rises to its highest point above the horizon on July 23. It will remain visible for a few weeks after that but then not again for 6800 years! In reading about it beforehand, I also learned that the etymology of the word "disaster" actually relates to comets, from the Greek roots "dys" meaning ill or bad and "aster," the word for star. I won't blame 2020 on this beautiful natural phenomenon though.

 

[Integrity]

Did anyone catch the NEOWISE comet yet? I just came back from viewing, and it was delightful. The comet is already visible to the naked eye, though binoculars definitely help, and it will be progressively easier to see as it rises to its highest point above the horizon on July 23. It will remain visible for a few weeks after that but then not again for 6800 years! In reading about it beforehand, I also learned that the etymology of the word "disaster" actually relates to comets, from the Greek roots "dys" meaning ill or bad and "aster," the word for star. I won't blame 2020 on this beautiful natural phenomenon though.

I've seen it on four evenings and got some decent photos. I love it!

 

[easilydistracte]

I envy you all. I still haven't managed to see Neowise, even though I tried to find it in the morning when it was visible in the morning and have been trying to see it almost every evening when it became visible in the evening. Too much light pollution in my neighborhood plus trees and buildings obstructing the view. Will keep trying to spot it, though. I'd hate to miss seeing it.

In the meantime, will try to console myself with looking at Jupiter and Saturn, Mars and Venus.

 

[Vash01]

There are too many lights around me, so I can’t see it. However yesterday at the Desert Botanical Garden I saw a sign for a Neowise comet viewing area. I may try to go there after dark. They close at 9 pm, so the window is small.

 

[Wyliefan]

I've tried and tried to see it, but no luck!

 

[hollygrove]

I needed to go out to farm country and use the "good" binoculars, not the little binoculars I've usually taken to Skate America. But once I found a safe place to pull off the road and view the northwest sky, I wasn't alone. Eventually there were six of us at that spot looking underneath the Big Dipper. It helped to have a Sky Guide app on my phone.

 

[alexikeguchi]

I'm keeping my fingers crossed for clear weather for everybody going out tonight. The comet should be about at its highest point, so maybe light pollution will be a little less of a factor for those who aren't able to access a rural area. Good luck!

 

[alexikeguchi]

So the comet has long since moved on, but tonight was the best viewing for the "Christmas Star," a great conjunction of Saturn and Jupiter with their moons all crossing paths and visible to the naked eye in the southwest. I amazingly got quite a good view from Brooklyn Bridge Park despite moderately overcast skies and some light pollution from Newark Airport, and there was a group with a telescope set up nearby. Cool stuff!

 

[ilovepaydays]

I saw it! Is it only visible in the Northern Hemisphere?

 

[Spikefan]

We saw it, could make out the two planets with our binoculars. They were just two dots but still cool as it just looked like one with the naked eye.

 

[Vagabond]

I saw it! Is it only visible in the Northern Hemisphere?

I saw something earlier today that said that the Great Conjunction is visible from most of the planet.

I went to a nearby hill with a southwest view yesterday with my binoculars and could see the belt of Saturn. I went back up to the same spot this evening and could clearly see red from the Eye of Jupiter and at least three of Jupiter's moons. Saturn and its rings seemed dimmer tan last night. Saturn even looked a bit green. I wonder if that was an optical effect from being so close to Jupiter.

 

[alexikeguchi]

I went to a nearby hill with a southwest view yesterday with my binoculars and could see the belt of Saturn. I went back up to the same spot this evening and could clearly see red from the Eye of Jupiter and at least three of Jupiter's moons.

Whoa, those are some good binoculars! I could only make out the moons but not Saturn's rings or Jupiter's red spot until I looked through my neighbors' telescope.

 

[Vagabond]

Whoa, those are some good binoculars!

The best present anyone gave me for my bar mitzah.

 

[Integrity]

The best present anyone gave me for my bar mitzah.

Love this. Would you share what brand and magnification they are? I went to my local observatory last night to see the conjunction and took some decent photos. My binoculars are not good enough to see rings of Saturn or moons of Jupiter.

 

[Vagabond]

Love this. Would you share what brand and magnification they are? I went to my local observatory last night to see the conjunction and took some decent photos. My binoculars are not good enough to see rings of Saturn or moons of Jupiter.

Wuest 8 x 40. It looks like Wuest has either gone out of business or been taken over by someone else, but you can find "vintage" ones for sale on line.

 

[Integrity]

Wuest 8 x 40. It looks like Wuest has either gone out of business or been taken over by someone else, but you can find "vintage" ones for sale on line.

Thank you!