Halley’s Comet has some company. There’s a new comet zipping across our solar system, and experts say you can see it from Earth without needing binoculars or telescopes.
In fact, the newly discovered comet — known as NEOWISE, because it was initially detected by a NASA satellite by that name four months ago — was seen streaking across the sky over New Jersey early Wednesday morning.
Chris Bakley, an astronomy expert from Cape May, snapped some photos of Comet NEOWISE and was captivated by the sight. (One of his photos appears above.)
“This morning was one of the first clear mornings since the first sighting of Comet NEOWISE,” Bakley wrote in an email Wednesday. “It’s safe to say it stunned us all! A morning treat I will surely never forget!”
Some good news for skywatchers: The comet will be visible the rest of this week — weather permitting — in the predawn hours, starting about 4 a.m.
If you’re not an early bird, don’t fret. Bakley said the comet is expected to return on July 14, and “if it continues to survive, then it will become visible in the evening sky after sunset.”
Comet NEOWISE was photographed in space by NASA. Experts say the comet will be visible from Earth most of this month, but the peak period should be from July 11 to July 22.Photo Courtesy NASA
The best place to look is in the northeastern sky, Bakley said. “It will look like a faint star with a tail. It’s small but visible with the naked eye. Binoculars can provide a stunning view of it.”
CNN says the comet was discovered in March by NASA “as it made its initial approach to the sun. It survived its loop around the sun and will be reaching the point in its orbit where it is closest to Earth in the next week.”
People in New Jersey and anywhere else in the northern hemisphere will have an opportunity to catch a glimpse of Comet NEOWISE through most of July, CNN says. The best times to look are early dawn and at dusk.
Space.com says the comet’s closest approach to Earth will be on July 22.
Astronomy experts from EarthSky.org say even though you can see this comet with the naked eye, you have a better shot with binoculars. There also are other options.
“If you don’t have binocs but do have a good camera, a great alternative is to capture a few seconds-long exposure image of the approximate area of the sky,” the website says. “Try at different magnification or zoom settings, and the results should reveal the comet’s nice tail.”
NASA describes comets as “cosmic snowballs of frozen gases, rock and dust that orbit the sun.”
“When a comet’s orbit brings it close to the sun, it heats up and spews dust and gases into a giant glowing head larger than most planets,” the space agency notes. “The dust and gases form a tail that stretches away from the sun for millions of miles.”
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Len Melisurgo may be reached at LMelisurgo@njadvancemedia.com.