Neowise July 24 Location: Here is how can spot the bright comet tonight

Comet C/2020 F3, which is now popularly being called Comet NEOWISE, has garnered a lot of fame since its appearance in Earth’s sky on July 14, 2020. The bright Comet NEOWISE will be dazzling Earth's skies 23 years after the appearance of the last bright comet Hale-Bopp in 1997. Skywatchers across the world have captured some breathtaking pictures of the comet in the past week. However, the stellar cosmic show put on by this space rock is approaching its end, as the outer space visitor is on its outbound journey from our solar system. 

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Neowise July 24 Location: How to find NEOWISE tonight?

On July 24, the icy space rock will be in the northwestern sky after dusk. It will be moving towards the northeastern sky before dawn. The easiest way to spot Comet NEOWISE is to look under the Big Dipper also known as the Saucepan because of its ladle shape.

The Big Dipper is a collection of seven bright stars which most skywatchers will easily recognise. Once the viewer spots the Big Dipper, they can look down from there to the horizon and voilà, there it is the icy outer space visitor Comet NEOWISE. As is the case with all stars, the position of the stars and also the comet seem to have shifted slightly depending on when you look at them.

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All the stars in the Big Dipper are circumpolar, hence, they appear to move anti-clockwise around the North Star Polaris. However, if a stargazer will follow the curve of the tail of the Big Dipper or the Saucepan, they should be able to more-or-less hit Comet NEOWISE. However, before every astronomy lover who is planning to go comet hunting tonight must know that the bright deep-space visitor’s brightness has slightly reduced.

This is because NEOWISE is on its outbound journey from our solar system. It is moving away from the Sun, hence it’s brightness appears to be dwindling each night. Hence this weekend is the best time and the last shot to witness this celestial phenomenon. 

Also, Comet NEOWISE won’t be easy to see with the unaided in light-polluted urban skies. But, it won’t be impossible. A pair of binoculars will not only help a stargazer to find the icy space rock, but one will be able to actually see it at its best. 

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Comet NEOWISE time and location

Skywatchers must wait until 90 minutes after the time of sunset where they live. After 90 minutes, a stargazer can keep looking at the comet for the rest of the night because Comet NEOWISE is circumpolar which means it never sets, or it is the case at least for now. Astronomy lovers will need to be somewhere with a good, clear view of the northwest horizon. Choosing a park on the edge of town will increase one’s chances of spotting the Comet, rather than trying to spot it in the city centre. In any case, a sky gazer needs to make sure that their northern view is free from light pollution.

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