The comet that has been unseen to the human eye for the last 6,800 years will finally make an appearance. First discovered through a telescope named Near Earth Object Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (NEOWISE), in March, it has since been named the same and it will be making its closest-ever date with Earth this July.
With astronauts expecting it to fly near Earth by July 22, many have taken to social media to share their experience of witnessing this historical event.
To see it in the next 12 days, all you will need is a pair of binoculars and the accurate meeting point of the comet. This can be figured out using interactive constellation apps available to download on your phone. It is also visible to the naked eye in some cases.
According to areport by The Weather Channel, “The rare opportunity to catch a magical glimpse of this ancient ice ball from India should begin next week, when astronomers hope the comet will shine even brighter in the night sky.”
If you do not have a pair of binoculars and have a good camera, one of the options available is to capture a few seconds long exposure image of the approximate area of the sky.
By using different magnification or zoom settings, and the results should show the comet’s tail, according toEarth Sky.
As NASA advised, “The comet takes about 6,800 years to make one lap around its long, stretched out orbit, so it won’t visit the inner solar system again for many thousands of years,” according to News18.