How To See Comet NEOWISE in Southeast Minnesota
It's already been spotted in the skies above southeast Minnesota, and you still have a few days left to see Comet NEOWISE.
I confess that in addition to being an amateur weather geek, I'm also somewhat of an amateur astronomy geek too-- I like to try to pick out the constellations, stars and planets when they're visible in the night sky above our backyard in northwest Rochester.
And if you, like me, haven't yet checked out Comet NEOWISE yet, we're in luck because it'll still be visible across the skies of southeast Minnesota for a few days-- or nights, I guess-- yet.
According to NASA, Comet NEOWISE (technically called Comet C/2020 F3) will be visible, as long as the skies are clear (which they could be this weekend throughout southeast Minnesota) in the evening, rising about the northwest horizon. It's somewhat unpredictable, but NASA believes it'll actually be closest to the earth (and maybe easiest to see without a telescope or binoculars) between now and Wednesday, July 22nd.
They say your best chance of seeing it is to first make sure you have an unobstructed view of the horizon. Then, just after sunset, as the sky is darkening, if you look towards the northwest, you *should* be able to see it. (Check out the picture below the National Weather Service in La Crosse posted on their Facebook page to see what it looks like.)
And this next week is pretty much your last chance to see it, as NASA says Comet NEOWISE won't return to the Earth's skies for another 6,800 years! Good luck!
We caught a glimpse of Comet NEOWISE on our office skycam just shortly after 10 pm Sunday night. Did you happen to see...
Posted by US National Weather Service La Crosse Wisconsin on Monday, July 13, 2020
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