Comet Neowise Passes Earth At Its Closest

LOS ANGELES, CA — Comet Neowise is zooming around the planet, and Wednesday marked the best chance to see it in the skies above Los Angeles. Neowise is the brightest comet in nearly a quarter of a century, and it came closest to the Earth Wednesday night.

Comet Neowise has been visible in the east-northeast sky with the naked eye just before sunrise, but now, the comet is going prime time. This week, it is visible in the evening sky shortly after sunset just over the horizon.

It will appear to zoom across the northwestern sky about an hour after sunset, below the Big Dipper, according to NASA.

The best dates to see it are now through Sunday, according to Space.com.

Comet Neowise has been a big hit with skywatchers, but “the best is yet to come,” veteran comet observer Terry Lovejoy told Space.com.

Though you’ll be able to see it without a small telescope or binoculars, weather permitting, those instruments offer better views. The National Weather Service’s seven-day forecast calls for mostly clear or clear nights.

Sky & Telescope says Comet Neowise will appear just as the last of twilight fades into darkness. The Big Dipper hangs by its handle at this time, so look about three fists below the “bowl.”

Its closest approach to Earth occurs on July 22, after which it will fade more rapidly and eventually disappear from our universe.

The comet has brightened 100-fold since June 9, and is only getting better — especially for those with an aversion to early mornings.

The comet appears to rise tail first, followed by its bright head or coma, which Space.com said shines “as bright as a first-magnitude star” — a designation reserved for the brightest of stars. For comparison purposes, Polaris, the North Star, is a second-magnitude star.

Comet Neowise appears low on the horizon. Relatively new in the continuum of time, Comet Neowise hasn’t made an appearance in our universe for 6,800 years.

NASA says the comet is an inner-solar system “intruder” that could become known as the Great Comet of 2020. It’s large by comet standards, measuring about 3 miles across.

The comet is the brightest visible from Earth since Comet Hale-Bopp made an appearance in 1997.