Posted in New Mexico July 21, 2020 by

You Still Have Time To See The Newly-Discovered Neowise Comet In The New Mexico Skies This Week

In the last few days, a newly-discovered comet has been taking over the skies and social media feeds. Dubbed the Neowise comet, it first graced skies in the early morning hours earlier this month but can now be seen shortly after sunset right here in New Mexico.

We’re aware that these uncertain times are limiting many aspects of life as we all practice social and physical distancing. While we’re continuing to feature destinations that make our state wonderful, we don’t expect or encourage you to go check them out immediately. We believe that supporting local attractions is important now more than ever and we hope our articles inspire your future adventures! And on that note, please nominate your favorite local business that could use some love right now: https://www.onlyinyourstate.com/nominate/
The comet was initially spotted on March 27 by NASA's Near-Earth Object Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer mission, abbreviated to NEOWISE.
Heather Tianen / Getty Images
In heat-sensitive images, the comet appeared as a series of red dots, indicating a moving object in the solar system.
The comet is following an elliptical route that sped past Mercury and around the sun before flying by Earth this month.
NASA/Wikimedia Commons
On July 23, it will reach its closest point to Earth, which is still a whopping 64 million miles away. Its orbital period is approximately 6,800 years, meaning this is definitely a once-in-a-lifetime viewing.
Measuring approximately three miles across, the comet is one of the brightest we've seen since the Hale-Bopp comet back in 1997.
RS2Photography/Flickr
Likewise, the Neowise comet can be easily seen in dark places with the naked eye.
John Fowler/Flickr
City dwellers may need a pair of binoculars or a small telescope to see the comet.
The comet can be found in the northwestern sky approximately one hour after sunset.
H. Raab/Flickr
Search for the Big Dipper and you'll spot the comet just below the constellation. You can find more viewing tips on the NASA website.
Have you taken the time to spot the Neowise comet? Where did you view it?
Hypatia Alexandria/Flickr

If you’re not quite sure where to head, we recommend checking out one of New Mexico’s certified International Dark-Sky Places. These locations are overwhelmingly free of light pollution, meaning you’ll have a spectacular view of the comet. Read more in These Are Some Of The Darkest Places In New Mexico And You’ll Want To Visit.

For more awesome photos of Neowise snapped by locals, check out our New Mexico Nature Lovers Facebook group and feel free to share your own shots!

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