Comet NEOWISE is getting brighter - Will it be visible with the naked eye in July?

The comet just experienced a sharp increase in brightness recorded by coronagraphs onboard the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO).

"During the transit, Comet NEOWISE increased in brightness from magnitude +4 to +1.8–an almost 8-fold jump," says planetary scientist Qicheng Zhang of Caltech, who analyzed the images. "If the comet maintains this brightness, it will be visible to the naked eye when it emerges from the sun’s glare in July."

Zhang is a bit concerned, however, that the rapid brightening might be too much of a good thing. "When a comet brightens this quickly (2.2 magnitudes in only ~4 days) it could be a sign that the nucleus is unstable. Comet NEOWISE might yet disintegrate," he cautions.

THE RAPID BRIGHTENING OF COMET NEOWISE

The comet is about to go past the Sun and come back into view next month. Skilled astronomers may be able to catch a glimpse of the comet, later this week during perihelion, before it disappears.

I am not holding my breath. The way this year and visible comets are going. You never know, maybe a nice bright comet will fit right in.

This one is interesting

2011 ES4 2020-Sep-01 16:12 0.32 or 75,371 miles 56 Feet - 125 Feet 25.4 Calculate Damage 18,261 mph
www.flybyasteroids.com...

a reply to: SeaWorthy

It is not a comet, will not be visible to the naked eye, and will not hit Earth.

What is interesting about it?

a reply to: LookingAtMars

Hopefully it is visible, I remember being disappointed that Haley's was not as bright as it's prior passing in 1800's.

a reply to: PhilbertDezineck

Halley was pretty good. My first. I could even see it without my glasses.

Hale-Bopp though, now that was a comet!

originally posted by: Phage
a reply to: SeaWorthy

It is not a comet, will not be visible to the naked eye, and will not hit Earth.

What is interesting about it?

Ha, if you don't see this close approach of a pretty large object as even interesting I can't explain why I do , not to you anyway.

a reply to: SeaWorthy

Not a comet.
Won't be visible to the naked eye.
Will not hit the planet.

Happens fairly often.

What do you find interesting about it? As opposed to a comet which might become visible?

a reply to: LookingAtMars

Thank you for the heads up. I'm not getting my hopes up. Comets have really been disappointing lately! I guess they typically are. Will be following, but I refuse to get excited this time!

a reply to: Phage

Will not hit the planet.

One of these will eventually surprise you and the size may end up surprising everyone too you are to certain of yourself and information provided by those keeping us calm imo.

All telescopes on earth will be aimed at 2018VP1, on November 2nd, 2020 to get precise tracking of this dangerous piece of space material.

This website makes use of data provided by NASA JPL HORIZONS database for solar system objects and International Astronomical Union's Minor Planet Center.

spacein3d.com...

a reply to: SeaWorthy

2011 ES4 will not hit the planet.

But now you're talking about yet another asteroid (not a comet). One which will also not hit Earth, even with the fairly large level of uncertainty.

But even if it does hit the atmosphere (a 0.4% chance) it won't do much of anything. It carries much less energy than the Chelyabinsk meteor.
2018 VP1

It has a Palermo scale rating of -3.57.

The Palermo Technical Impact Hazard Scale was developed to enable NEO specialists to categorize and prioritize potential impact risks spanning a wide range of impact dates, energies and probabilities. Actual scale values less than -2 reflect events for which there are no likely consequences, while Palermo Scale values between -2 and 0 indicate situations that merit careful monitoring.

cneos.jpl.nasa.gov...

originally posted by: PhilbertDezineck
a reply to: LookingAtMars
Hopefully it is visible, I remember being disappointed that Haley's was not as bright as it's prior passing in 1800's.

1910.

I had been a newspaper neighborhood delivery boy in the late 1950s, and there had been one cheerful old lady who was delighted to learn I was interested in astronomy. She told me she recalled seeing Halley's Comet as young woman, in 1910, and described it in spectacular [and as it turned out, highly imaginary] terms, and added that -I- would have the chance to see it myself when it returned in 1986. I distinctly remember my thought process in considering that opportunity: "1986? I'll be, uh, I would be FORTY TWO YEARS OLD!" I remember the pang of that unimaginable and unpleasant-seeming distant future. When it came, it was visually unimpressive [wrong side of the Sun] but I was thrilled to watch it in binoculars as it noticeably moved against background stars in an hour.

originally posted by: Phage
a reply to: PhilbertDezineck

Halley was pretty good. My first. I could even see it without my glasses.

Hale-Bopp though, now that was a comet!

I have never seen. What makes a comet visible, or bright? I assume it's because of some friction, skimming the atmosphere. But if they can see it further out, no friction, I must be missing something?

a reply to: vonclod

Comets become visible when they begin to eject quantities of gasses and dust when heated by the Sun. The gasses and dust are lit by sunlight, making them visible. The more gas and dust, the brighter the comet and its tail. Some comets produce very large quantities and become very bright, others not so much. Mostly no so much, actually.

It has nothing to do with Earth's atmosphere.

originally posted by: Phage
a reply to: vonclod

Comets become visible when they begin to eject quantities of gasses and dust when heated by the Sun. The gasses and dust are lit by sunlight, making them visible. The more gas and dust, the brighter the comet and its tail. Some comets produce very large quantities and become very bright, others not so much. Mostly no so much, actually.

It has nothing to do with Earth's atmosphere.

Ok, makes sense, I feel like I knew that, just couldn't pull it out of the old hard drive. Meteorites light up when hitting the atmosphere.

Neowise had a sudden increase in brightness from +4 to +1.8 in just four days.

Here is an active GIF of the this period from SOHO: NeoWise

Comets are bad because when they suddenly flare up like this, is usually means they are being pulled apart by the Sun.

Let's hope that is not so, and we will get to see this puppy after perihelion.

a reply to: vonclod

It ain't a meteorite until it hits the ground.

Meteors move across the sky very rapidly. Comets do not. They will appear night after night, gradually changing their position in the sky. Faster than a planet, but much slower than a meteor.

Geez..

Basic astronomy course in someone's future...

originally posted by: Phage
a reply to: SeaWorthy

Not a comet.
Won't be visible to the naked eye.
Will not hit the planet.

Happens fairly often.

What do you find interesting about it? As opposed to a comet which might become visible?

It's not a comet? Why is labeled as a comet?
Doesn't the article say it may be visible to the naked if it continues to brighten?
Sure it won't hit the planet but the other 2 points confuse me.

originally posted by: Tekner

originally posted by: Phage
a reply to: SeaWorthy

Not a comet.
Won't be visible to the naked eye.
Will not hit the planet.

Happens fairly often.

What do you find interesting about it? As opposed to a comet which might become visible?

It's not a comet? Why is labeled as a comet?
Doesn't the article say it may be visible to the naked if it continues to brighten?
Sure it won't hit the planet but the other 2 points confuse me.

Jeez.. try reading the thread. That post was about an asteroid.

Phage, try quoting the post you're replying to next time? :-p

NEOWISE is definitely a comet (I even had to go to Wikipedia to double-chekc, lol)