New Comet NEOWISE is Visible in Colorado Right Now

A newly discovered comet called NEOWISE is currently visible in Colorado, and will be for the next few weeks.

The comet was first spotted back in March by NASA’s Near-Earth Object Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer. This telescope is used by NASA to look for potentially hazardous asteroids and comets, and the acronym of this device is how this particular comet got its name. In this case, NEOWISE does not have the potential to cause any danger to Earth.

NEOWISE is the brightest visible comet since Hale-Bopp's appearance in 1997. It's continued to get brighter and brighter every night, but Space.com says it will start to fade after July 19, which means the next few nights will be prime viewing times.

According to NASA, the comet is 3 miles across. Because of it's closeness to the sun, dust and gas has burned off its surface, creating an even bigger debris tail.

View this post on Instagram

The last time comet NEOWISE passed earth the first civilizations were just forming in Mesopotamia. Early cultures believed that comets were portentous, inspiring both fear and awe. I parked my car stop Baldy last night and woke at 3:50 am and shot this right from my tailgate. I envisioned the comet lining up over Greys and Torreys (both over 14k high)and that’s exactly how it worked out. Shot with the Sigma 70-200 S lens on Sony a7III. 15sec. F3.5 at ISO 1600. . . . . #neowisecomet #comet #landscapephotography #astrophotography #colorado #graysamdtorreys #sunrisephotography #outdoorphotography #sigmaphoto #sigma70200sports #sonya7iii #breckenridge #adayinthelight

A post shared by Liam Doran Outdoors (@liam_doran_outdoors) on Jul 12, 2020 at 9:20am PDT

The comet can be spotted in the northwestern sky just after sunset. For those familiar with astronomy and the night sky, NEOWISE appears below the Big Dipper. It started low in the horizon, but is climbing higher and higher each day. The comet will disappear by mid-August and wont make it's return for another 6,800 years.

Right now, NEOWISE can be seen with the naked eye, but binoculars may be needed to see the full tail. Try heading up to Horsetooth, or an open field at night, that's away from trees, buildings and light pollution to get the best view.