The brightest comet of this century, the Neowise comet, will be visible over Ireland from Monday until the end of the week.
What's more, you'll be able to see Neowise without the use of a telescope as it passes close to the sun, meaning that its trail will be visible to all. Neowise should be visible from about midnight, and if you face north with a clear horizon, you should be able to see it pretty easily, even without binoculars.
Just a few hours ago I saw this incredible sight - Stonehenge with the comet Neowise above and noctilucent clouds rippling behind. Worth the 5 hour roundtrip to capture this once in a lifetime image#cometNEOWISE #thephotohour #NLCnow @virtualastro @ProfBrianCox @BBCStargazing pic.twitter.com/0xNn12aVqP
— Mathew Browne (@mathewbrowne) July 11, 2020
☄️Skywatchers in the Northern Hemisphere with clear skies have a chance to catch a glimpse of Comet C/2020 F3 (NEOWISE). See when and where to look: https://t.co/LTXEpR0LjZ
☄️What is a comet, anyway? What do they look like up close? https://t.co/iNjHoHG59K#cometNEOWISE pic.twitter.com/vRNMIYVJHB— NASA Solar System (@NASASolarSystem) July 10, 2020
The name Neowise comes from the space telescope - Near-Earth Object Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer - that discovered it in March of this year. Neowise will be at its closest to Earth on July 23rd, known as its perihelion. After that, it will continue its travels across the solar system, completing an orbit that will take around 4,500 years.
That means the next time the comet is visible over Ireland, it will be the year 6870, around about the time when 'Grey's Anatomy' will finally be cancelled.
