Comet NEOWISE seen in the skies

Christine Dianne M. Corpuz

C/2020 F3, also know as Comet NEOWISE, is a long period comet discovered on March 27, 2020 during the NEOWISE mission, hence the comet NEOWISE name. For the whole month of July, the comet is bright enough to be seen in the naked eye, however, the most that you can see in this comet is a fuzzy bright object in the dark skies, so the use of binoculars are highly recommended for a whole picture with the bright tail the comet carries. Another good alternative is to use a camera, set with a long exposure to see the tail. Most people who live in the Northern Hemisphere can see this comet passing by under the Big Dipper constellation, sadly for people who live in the southern hemisphere, they cannot experience a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

In the Philippines, Comet NEOWISE can be seen the brightest at the 23rd of July, since that is the day of the comet being the closest at the Earth’s orbit. The icy comet was seen in various places of the country including Tarlac, Albay, Cebu, Laguna, Bataan, NCR, Pampanga, Rizal, Batangas, and Romblon. The best view for the comet needs clear eyes, a spot away from city lights, and at the North Western horizon. A photograph of this magnificent event is also recommended as this comet would visit the solar system for another six thousand years or more. However, as time passes by, the comet is slowly dimming and fading out in the dark sky and the last week of July would probably be the last time we could see this comet.

So in summary, as humans, we should be grateful as we can discover a very bright comet that would satisfy our eyes and discover the greatness of astronomy in general. Let us all gather and discover the ever beauty of Comet NEOWISE.

The author is Teacher

--oOo-

III at Porac National High School