Comet NEOWISE is easily visible with the naked eye and looks great through binoculars.
This was taken at 3:30am BST this morning, looking just above the roof of my observatory, 8 degrees above the horizon towards the NE:
(http://www.markshelley.co.uk/Astronomy/2020/Neowise_20200707_1.jpg)
Details: RedCat51 (250mm focal length at f/4.9) on Canon 600D, 2sec at ISO 200.
Here's a cropped version:
(http://www.markshelley.co.uk/Astronomy/2020/Neowise_20200707_2.jpg)
It has a very nicely defined tail.
Mark
Superb. Wow. Where I am currently is a bit far south and the comet is below the line of the mountains just to the north of the house. Be home on Saturday so hope to grab a look then.
Well done Mark. It's looking very promising.
I woke myself up just after 3.30 pm last night but there was a bank of cloud right where it should be, so went back to bed.
Carole
The closest approach to Earth will be on 23-July when it will be in the East at 11pm, 30 degrees above the horizon. That's a much more convenient time to see it. Let's hope it remains sufficiently bright!
Mark
QuoteThat's a much more convenient time to see it.
Absolutely, I am not sure I will be able to see it over the roof tops from the back garden at only 30 degrees, so may have to take a picture from upstairs through the window unless I can get to Cairds next week, but currently the weather forecast is not great, but hopefully it might change before we go.
Carole
Great
Thanks Mark, hadn't realized it was about.
Noel
Here's the version specially created as my desktop wallpaper.
RedCat51 on Canon 600D at ISO 200.
10 exposures of 2sec stacked, scaled by 2/3 and cropped to 1920x1080.
(http://www.markshelley.co.uk/Astronomy/2020/Neowise_20200707_1920x1080.jpg)
Mark
Good shot, Mark.
There was a solid bank of cloud here out west. Fingers crossed for a better chance another day.
Nice photo! Strangely, Jim Mehta sent me a Whatsapp pic almost exactly the same from his garden down in Newton Abbott this morning.
I have a very poor NE view from my garden so may have to drive out somewhere. Looks like it might be the weekend before the weather gives a chance though.
Hugh
Two tails! It's now developing an ion tail.
Here's a recent picture from France:
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EcagofdXgAY8cfe?format=jpg&name=large
Hopefully Saturday morning will be clear.
Mark
I thought I could detect the trace of a 2nd tail yesterday looking at all the images.
No chance of seeing it yet, forecast is for cloud. Maybe Friday night (Saturday morning).
Carole
Looking very pretty in the photos. Just hope there's a break in the weather. It's been solid cloud here for the last couple of days. Some of the time we've been in the cloud rather than under it...
Yesterday's APOD had an interesting shot of it: https://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap200709.html
Nice capture,
Had the pleasant surprise today after getting home from work.